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A man had to be rescued by crews from West Midlands Fire Service after his car was swept 30 metres downstream from a flooded river ford in Northfield this morning (Friday 20th October).
Three fire crews – from Bournbrook and Perry Barr fire stations and the Technical Rescue Unit – attended the incident in the River Rea at The Mill Walk just after 8.30am.
A statement from WMFS read: “The driver, a man believed to be in his early 40s, had attempted to pass through a fast-flowing ford.
“His vehicle was rapidly pushed downstream, before getting stuck. The man climbed to safety on the roof of his vehicle, before using a tree branch to make his way to the embankment.
“From there, he was led to safety by our crews an hour after the initial 999 calls.
“The man was not injured. At no stage during the incident did he or our crews enter the water.”
Firefighters from Bournbrook Fire Station took to X (formerly Twitter) to appeal for drivers not to pass through rivers while water levels are high.
Please, please do not enter fords or try to cross rivers, we have rescued a driver whose car was swept down stream from here @WestMidsFire pic.twitter.com/koNf1QGr0k
— Bournbrook Fire Station (@WMFSBournbrook) October 20, 2023
Avoid flood water!
Road users: please don’t risk it.
You might think it’s safe, you might think you know the road, but water can be deeper and moving faster than it appears.
Concerned about flooding near your home? Call Floodline on 0345 988 1188. pic.twitter.com/K4nauOHRGN
— West Midlands Fire Service (@WestMidsFire) October 20, 2023
Avoid flood water! 