19 February 2024 , 21:19
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A huge emergency response was launched when a pensioner on her mobility scooter fell into a lake and had to be rescued.
Police, paramedics, and fire crews attended the scene in Littleborough, Greater Manchester, today when a 70-year-old woman fell into Hollingworth Lake. She is understood to have been riding the scooter at the time when it fell down an embankment and entered the lake.
It is believed the woman was rescued and rushed to hospital, Manchester Evening News reported. Pictures from the scene showed a number of fire engines, ambulances, and police vehicles in attendance, parked along Rakewood Road, as well as incident response units.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “At just before 1pm today (February 19) two fire engines from Chadderton and Littleborough fire stations, the water incident unit from Heywood fire station, and the technical response unit from Leigh fire station attended an incident off Rakewood Road, Littleborough.
“Firefighters using a drone, working alongside colleagues from North West Ambulance Service, rescued a woman who had fallen down an embankment. Crews were in attendance for around one hour.”
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The RNLI says people who find themselves suddenly in water should fight their instinct to swim and, instead, the best survival method is to float with your head back. The shock of cold water can make people gasp uncontrollably so anyone swimming could breathe in water and drown. People who enter water are encouraged to float on their back with arms and legs out. Once breathing is under control, people can then call for help.