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Cyclists rescue three from car stranded in ford

Cyclists Jonathan Swift and Steve Trice help pull the three car occupants to safety, after the car was driven into a deep ford, causing the water level to rise

Cyclists have rescued three people from a waterlogged car for the second time this week after a woman drove into a ford on the Shropshire border.

Two passing cyclists spotted the car during a Sunday ride yesterday, and managed to pull its three passengers, aged between 60 and 70, to safety as the water level rose.

This is the second time cyclists have come to drivers’ aid in deep water in a matter of days, after cyclists rescued a woman who drove into a lake in Arlington, USA.

Video: Cyclists save motorist after SUV plunges into lake

Jonathan Swift and Steve Trice spotted the Rover at Trescott Ford, near Shipley, yesterday morning, reports the  Shropshire Star.

Trice, who is 53, said: “As we rounded the corner we laughed when we saw the car stuck because it is so frequent.

“But then we suddenly realised there was someone in it and we pulled up and phoned emergency services.”

Two women were in the front seat and a man in the back.

Trice said: “We saw that the water was coming up very quickly and were joined by four other passers-by who came to help.”

Trice explained to the Star the vehicle had blocked the water flowing across the ford and under a bridge, causing the water level to rapidly rise. One vehicle occupant was asked to shuffle along the seat to escape out of a side window, while another passer-by managed to open the sunroof using a pole, which another occupant was pulled through. The third, another woman, got out of the front side window, aided by the cyclists and other passers-by.

Tettenhall Fire Station Watch Commander Dean Marandola praised the cyclists for helping the three car passengers.

He told the Star: “We would like to commend the bravery of the cyclists for putting themselves in danger to help others.”

He said people frequently get stuck in the ford and reminded people it should only be tackled below a given depth and there is a measuring device to help guide motorists.

Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.

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4 comments

Avatar
Butty | 8 years ago
1 like

Why did only the cyclists get praised by the fire brigade?

Did the other 4 people just film it all for Liveleak?

Avatar
STiG911 | 8 years ago
1 like

Unless this article has been edited, the car was on a road which crosses a ford, NEXT to a bridge. The car wasn't on the bridge...

Avatar
garuda | 8 years ago
1 like

Also, a car, which drives on top of a bridge, probably cannot block the flow of water under the bridge and subsequently cause the rise of the water that made the car get stuck in the first place. Just a genuinely poorly written article.

But the lessons remains: Do not drive your car in water, leave that stupidity to Texans in trucks.

Avatar
atlaz | 8 years ago
4 likes

Better headline would be "6 people including a couple of cyclists rescue three"  3

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