25 November 2008

Firefighters helped paramedics to rescue a man who had fallen down a lift shaft earlier today.

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service received the call to the Red Hot restaurant in the Theatre District, Milton Keynes, at 12 noon. Two crews from Great Holm attended along with Station Manager Paul Harrison. The Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) crew based at Beaconsfield Fire Station, who were training at Great Holm Fire Station, also attended.

The man had fallen from the first floor onto the roof of the lift, which was stationary on the ground floor.

Firefighters used a ladder along with working-at-heights gear to reach the roof of the lift from the first floor, and enabled paramedics to assess the man for injuries.

The crews were then able to lift the man to safety using a paraguard stretcher and a digital winch.

Watch Manager Frazer Lewis, from Great Holm Fire Station, who was at the incident, said: “Gaining access to the casualty was very difficult due to the confined space and the unstable surface of the lift roof.

“The crews worked extremely well together under these difficult circumstances.”