Man with serious back injuries rescued from sinking boat in middle of Peterborough river

Fire, Ambulance and Paramedics aid a member of the public who is taken ill on their river boat.,
River Nene, Peterborough
14/01/2016.
Picture by PaperPix/Terry Harris. THA — Fire, Ambulance and Paramedics aid a member of the public who is taken ill on their river boat., River Nene, Peterborough 14/01/2016. Picture by PaperPix/Terry Harris. THA

Paramedics were called to Potters Way at 12.24pm to reports of a man with serious back pains along the river Nene.

An ambulance crew was dispatched to the incident which was shortly followed by a rapid response vehicle, ambulance officer, and hazardous area response team (HART). Arriving at the scene, it was clear that ordinary ambulance and fire service crews were unable to reach the patient.

Michael Harrington, a HART Paramedic, said: “There was roughly 15 feet of water between the land and the boat. Fortunately, the fire crews provided a flotation device which gave us (HART) a platform to reach the patient.”

Because of the effective teamwork from both the fire service and EEAST, the man – believed to be in his 50s – was safely assessed back on dry land for back pains before being conveyed to Peterborough City Hospital in a stable condition.

Michael added: “It was a really effective use of equipment and skill from all emergency services, everyone had a brilliant understanding of their limits and water safety which resulted in a safely treated patient.”