A woman was rescued from a canal near Snaith this morning and probably owes her life to not only the fire crews from Goole and the Air Ambulance paramedics, but to her waterproof phone and a passer-by with a scarf!
The 41 year old woman fell into an icy stretch of the Aire and Calder Navigation Canal while out walking her dog and was helped by a quick thinking passer-by armed with just her scarf and strength.
Fire crews, Yorkshire Ambulance paramedics and Humberside Police were all called to the waterway just outside Pollington, near Goole, at 10.15am today.
She managed to call 999 from the water as she had a waterproof phone, but as she struggled to stay afloat, an older woman came to her aid by holding a scarf which was supporting the casualty in the water under her armpits and around her back. Both held on until emergency services arrived.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service Station Manager Steve Duffield arrived at the scene and later spoke to the Hull Daily Mail:
"The quick thinking of the passer-by certainly contributed to the woman's survival. It was a difficult place to get to as she fell into the water at a remote location along the canal away from any roads or houses.
"When we arrived, we found her in the water and clinging to the side with the help of another older woman, who was anchoring her using a scarf. This was fantastic work and there is no question what she did contributed to the survival of this woman. Hypothermia can affect your ability to remain buoyant."
"The woman was sat in the icy grass keeping hold of this woman for a quite a while so she must have been cold. The victim had been in the water for about 20 minutes which is a very long time in these conditions and she was suffering from hypothermia."
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance landed alongside the canal, but the woman was deemed fit enough to be taken to hospital by land ambulance. Her condition is not thought to be life-threatening.
"We had firefighters in dry suits ready to go in to the water, but we managed to carry out a bankside rescue. The woman was taken to hospital where she will receive the right treatment. Her dog was absolutely fine.
"The police were there very quickly and the ambulance crews were great as always. This was a really good example of great multi-agency working."