Firefighters from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service performed a water rescue in Ellesmere during the early hours of this morning, Wednesday, 22 October, after a man suffered a medical emergency on the isolated banks of The Mere.

Firefighters from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service were mobilised at 3.04 am to reports of a person who had become unwell while fishing near Swan Hill. The operation concluded just over an hour later at 4.07 am.

Emergency Response and Difficult Terrain

Emergency services were scrambled after Fire Control received a call reporting the incident. Three fire appliances, including specialist resources, were immediately dispatched to the scene. Crews from Ellesmere, Baschurch, and Shrewsbury attended, alongside an Operations Officer, the Incident Command Unit, and the Rescue Tender.

Upon arrival, crews, working alongside the Land Ambulance Service, located the casualty who was experiencing chest pains. The location of the man presented significant challenges. Due to the isolated position and difficult terrain surrounding the bank, the decision was made to use the fire service’s inflatable boat for extraction.

Boat Transport to Waiting Paramedics

A spokesperson for the Fire Service confirmed: “Owing to the isolated location of the casualty and difficult terrain, the decision was made to transport the casualty across The Mere using the fire service boat, where they were met by waiting paramedics for transport to hospital.”

Fire crews acted quickly, deploying the boat to reach the casualty and bring him safely to the bank where he was placed into the care of paramedics without delay.