SYFR - Chimney Rescue Rotherham 01.11.2009

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue - Rotherham Chimney Rescue

1st November 2009




Firefighters were involved in an amazing rescue in Rotherham, after a man fell down his next door neighbours chimney. Incident Commander Neil Hessell said he had never seen an incident like it in over 27 years as a firefighter.

The crew of fire service managers, who were staffing the Rotherham fire engine in place of striking firefighters, was called to the incident on St Johns Avenue, Masborough at 8.19pm. The initial report was to assist the Police and Ambulance services in their attempts to remove a man from the roof of the row of terraced houses.

Area Manager Hessell said: We arrived to find a man in his 30s walking along the roof, throwing slates, chimney pots and television aerials onto the street below. Around six cars were damaged and there was a significant danger to the public so the street was cordoned off.

Walking along the rooftops, the man eventually came to his own house before falling down the chimney breast on his next door neighbours side.

AM Hessell continued: We called for our Technical Rescue Unit and hydraulic platform and those firefighters worked extremely well in partnership with the Police and Ambulance services to rescue the man and ensure the safety of the surrounding areas.

The rescuers were forced to undertake significant excavation work on both sides of the chimney breast before finding the man at ground floor level. He suffered leg injuries, abrasions and shock, and was left in the care of the Police and Ambulance services at around 10.20pm. Structural engineers attended the scene and confirmed the safety of the buildings.

*In order to protect the privacy of the injured man involved, the end of the rescue video has been excluded.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• SYFR
• chimney
• rescue
• fire
• service
• firefighters
• rotherham
• south
• yorkshire