Moment woman suffering from hypothermia is found clinging to her car after 12 HOURS trapped in raging Storm Dennis floodwaters before hero passers-by pull her to safety
- Geoff Handley, 63, was walking his dog when they saw the 61-year-old woman
- Passery-by Mark Smith, 51, stripped off his shirt and swam in water to reach her
- She was slipping in and out of consciousness and her lips were turning blue
- Son Adam, 21, joined and took turns to keep her warm until fire service arrived
A woman who was moments from death was saved after she was became trapped on the roof of her car for 12 hours and developed hypothermia during fast-flowing floods.
Geoff Handley, 63, was walking his dog when he saw the 61-year-old unnamed woman half submerged in the fast-flowing water during Storm Dennis in Monmouth, Wales.
Quickly leaping into action, he called for help from passery-by Mark Smith, 51, who stripped off his shirt and swam through the water to reach her.
The woman, who became trapped on her roof after getting stuck with no phone signal, had developed hypothermia and was slipping in and out of consciousness, her lips turning blue.
The woman, who became trapped on her roof after getting stuck with no phone signal, had developed hypothermia and was slipping in and out of consciousness, her lips turning blue
Geoff told The Mirror said: ‘I shouted, ‘Are you all right?’ and she simply said ‘No, help me, please save me.’ The water was flowing fast and I knew even if I got out to her we both could get washed away.’
Brave Mark wrapped a coat around the woman to keep her warm as they called for help. His son Adam, 21, soon arrived after growing worried over his father’s whereabouts.
‘She was in a bad way, slipping in and out of consciousness. It was then, sat on top of the car, in the fast-flowing water, I thought this should actually be terrifying, we could be swept away. I suppose the adrenaline kicks in and you get on with it,’ Mark told the publication.
The trio took it in turns to swim to the trapped vehicle to keep the woman warm until they were forced to carry her downriver and haul her up onto the riverbank.
Brave Mark wrapped a coat around the woman to keep her warm as they called for help. His son Adam (pictured), 21, soon arrived after growing worried over his father’s whereabouts
Adam told the publication: ‘We knew we could not have left her on that car, when we got her on to land you see her hands were so pale and her lips were blue.’
They all took turn to cuddle the woman – who was not local to the area and had been driving through on business – until the fire service reached them by boat.
She was taken to hospital and should fully recover. Paul Bird, of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: ‘They did a cracking job. They put themselves in danger, they should be recognised.’ Locals said the men were ‘true heroes’ who deserved medals.
Nearly 1,500 properties have been flooded and thousands more evacuated, with more rain building up in the West throughout this morning and up to 4in (100mm) of rain in North Wales over the next few days.
Over the weekend, the River Taff in Pontypridd reached its highest level in more than 40 years and the River Usk reached the highest level since 1979.
Adam told the publication: ‘We knew we could not have left her on that car, when we got her on to land you see her hands were so pale and her lips were blue’