Firefighters in river rescue

A stretcher bearing the injured man was hoisted from the River Irwell 10 metres up to the bridge at Dumers Lane on the Bury-Radcliffe border.

Earlier, the man, who was believed to have been drinking, had fallen down a steep embankment at the side of the bridge and into the 2ft deep icy water. Police and paramedics were unable to make their way down and called out fire crews to assist in the rescue which happened late on Saturday (Oct 19).

Whitefield-based Sub Officer Gary Manock, who was wearing a life jacket, was attached to a special rope line and managed to negotiate his way down the embankment. "Police informed us that this man had stopped breathing and was in a bad way," said Sub Officer Manock.

"The other man who was at the river told us he'd resuscitated his friend twice. We had to use a special spinal board and straps to secure the casualty."

He added: "During the rescue, he had what appeared to be an epileptic fit which compounded things. The only way we could get him up was using a hydraulic platform, like a massive big boom, which we lowered over the bridge to where the casualty was."

Two colleagues from Heywood wearing dry suits went into the river and lifted the spinal board on to the platform cage. Operators who were located on the bridge above hoisted the injured man to a waiting ambulance.

The man, who has not been named but who lives in the Whitefield area, was treated at Fairfield Hospital for cuts and the effects of the cold.

Commenting on the difficulties in carrying out the rescue, Station Officer Paul Myserscough of Bury fire station said: "The banking was very steep, about 60 degrees. The injured man and his friend were in the river when we got there. Paramedics and police wouldn't go down there themselves because it was just too dangerous. They could have fallen in themselves."

Crews from Bury and Whitefield were joined at the scene by a Heywood-based rescue unit and the hydraulic platform from Bury.