Friday 8th May 2015 – 2pm – Steve Parry.
Two canoeists have been pulled from the River Severn near Hampton Loade after getting into difficulty earlier today.
West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) was called to reports of an incident on the river at just before 11.30am.
West Midlands Ambulance Service sent two ambulances together with a paramedic support officer; the specialist Hazardous Area Responder Team (HART); two community first responders and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews arrived on scene after reports of a capsized canoe near Hampton Loade.
“One canoeist had already made his way to safety when crews arrived. A second man was initially tangled in branches. He was later rescued from the water by emergency crews after a dramatic twenty minute search to locate him.
“A man in his sixties escaped the fast flowing water and was treated for hypothermia before being taken by land ambulance to Princess Royal Hospital.
“A second man was recovered from the water by a fire rescue boat. He was found to be in cardiac arrest and ambulance crews treated him with advance life support procedures before he was airlifted to the regional trauma centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
“The hospital was pre-alerted to the serious condition of the patient.”
-ENDS-
Please note we do not have an update on the condition of the patient.