Girls trapped on coach freed
Brownies and Rainbows who had been on an 'I'm An Explorer...Get Me Out Of Here' expedition were stranded as their coach was stuck in floodwater.
The 6th Penkridge Brownies and 3rd Penkridge Rainbows were coming back from the expedition to Dudley Zoo as their coach broke down in 2ft of water on the Birmingham New Road on the Tipton and Dudley border late yesterday afternoon.
The 49 were trapped for 45 minutes. Police flagged down a Diamond coach to take them to Wolverhampton bus station as alternative transport was organised. Fire crews used ramps to get them off the bus and to safety. The road later closed for just over an hour.
Des Jones, the Crusade Travel coach driver, said they inched through the water but other drivers sped past, sending waves across the carriageway and water was up to the door.
"There were fountains coming up through the manhole covers on grass verges and the coach just stopped."
Sheila Wellsbury, Brown Owl of the 6th Penkridge Brownies, said: "We had been to the zoo for an 'I'm An Explorer...Get Me Out Of Here' expedition but it turned out to be more appropriate than we thought.
"The rain was absolutely thrashing down. We were only going through slowly but water was deep and the engine died. The girls thought the whole thing was very exciting and were singing songs while we waited to keep their spirits up. They thought it added to the drama of the day." She said the five-10-year-olds were in contact with parents throughout.
