Elderly woman’s car plunges into canal sparking major rescue operation

09 July 2024 , 09:24
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A car ends up in a canal in Marple, Stockport (Image: No credit)
A car ends up in a canal in Marple, Stockport (Image: No credit)

An elderly woman’s car went off the road and into the Macclesfield Canal in Stockport sparking a major rescue operation, as images show the vehicle now submerged in the water

A pensioner was dramatically pulled from a Greater Manchester canal after her car nosedived off the road and into the water.

Emergency services rushed to the scene in Marple, Stockport, and a rescue operation was put in place after the elderly woman’s car nosedived into the canal just before 1.30pm on Monday. Her vehicle veered off into the Macclesfield Canal next to Goyt Mill on Upper Hibbert Lane, with the quick-thinking woman managing to extricate herself from the sinking car, according to reports. 

And firefighters promptly extended a long-reach pole to pull her safely from the chilly waters. She was subsequently whisked away to hospital, as confirmed by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue while police reassured that she had been "checked over as a precaution" and had fortunately avoided any grave injuries.

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An image of the car upside down in the water Image: No credit)

Images taken by stunned onlookers show the car upside down and submerged in the water which reinforce how fortunate the woman was to escape and that emergency services were called so quickly reports the Manchester Evening News. A GMP spokesperson relayed: "We were called at 1:25pm to reports that a car had gone into the canal. The female driver was checked over as a precaution." 

Echoing the details, a GMFRS representative stated: "Shortly after 1.25pm this afternoon (Monday, 8 July), two fire engines from Marple and Offerton fire stations, the Technical Response Unit from Ashton-under-Lyne Community Fire Station and the Water Incident Unit from Eccles Community Fire Station were called to reports of a person in water near Upper Hibbert Lane, Stockport. Crews arrived quickly and used a long reach pole to rescue one casualty who was later conveyed to hospital by North West Ambulance Service. Firefighters were in attendance for approximately one hour and 10 minutes."

It comes after yesterday dramatic pictures show an ice cream van that was washed out to sea. The vehicle got stuck in the sand at the western end of Harlyn Bay beach, North Cornwall, as the tide began to turn on Sunday afternoon. Despite multiple attempts to pull the van out of the water, the tide was too strong, and it was left swirling against the rocks. 

Images were captured of the incident at around 4pm by holidaymaker Abi Fisk, who runs Vintage Mary store. She said she witnessed a 4x4 with a winch close by trying "really hard to pull it free" when it was first swept into the ocean. Abi explained how ’lots of surfers’ and other people on the beach attempted to help.

She said: "They managed to pull it a fair way up the beach while still surrounded by the in coming waves, before it got stuck on rocks." Though as the tide was coming in ’very quickly’ - the group were forced to abandon the van, and shortly afterwards the coastguards arrived.

David Wilson

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