Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

North Petherwin at 17/02/2021 16:57

At 16:57 we received a 999 reporting a van had left the road and was stuck in fast flowing water with one person trapped inside. Two appliances from Launceston, Water Rescue Units from Bude, St Austell and Plymouth, along with four Station Managers were mobilised, and responded alongside Devon and Cornwall Police.

The police informed us that they also received a call stating a van had crashed and the occupant was on the bonnet of the van in fast flowing water.

After a brief search of the area the first crew located the vehicle and found the occupant had self-rescued from the vehicle and made his way to the riverbank. The occupant was checked over by police and fire crews at the scene and declined medical attention.

We would like to thank both Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue for providing mutual aid for this incident, and Devon and Cornwall Police Control Room staff for assisting us to locate the incident.


*WATER RESCUES*

If you see a person trapped in water INLAND, always dial 999 and ask for the Fire Service.

Visit the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) website for further details on what you should do if your vehicle ends up in water.

Related item: https://www.rospa.com/leisure-safety/water/advice/vehicles.aspx