Man forced to climb onto car roof after being swept 30 metres by flood water
A man was forced to climb onto the roof of his vehicle and use a tree branch to make his way to safety today after attempting to drive through flood water.
The driver, a man in his early 40s, was washed 30 metres downstream and was rescued by West Midlands Fire Service after he made his way from the vehicle to an embankment.
The fire service were called at just after 8.30am to The Mill Walk in Northfield, Birmingham, after the man tried to drive through a fast-flowing ford.
His vehicle was rapidly pushed downstream, before getting stuck. The man climbed to safety on the roof of his vehicle, before using a tree branch to make his way to the embankment.
From there, he was led to safety by fire crews an hour after the initial 999 calls.
The man was not injured and at no stage during the incident did he or the firefighters enter the water.
West Midlands Fire Service says about 20 firefighters and three fire engines attended the scene, with crews attending from Bournbrook and Perry Barr fire stations, as well as from the Technical Rescue Unit.
