Firefighters nominated for heroes award after saving injured woman
Six firefighters from Staffordshire have been awarded for their life-saving actions after they helped an injured kayaker to safety in Wales.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer Rob Barber nominated firefighters Dale Glover, Phil Salwey, Martin Bailey, Tim Bullock, Justin Cooley and Adrian Smith for the Uniformed Heroes award for their outstanding actions.
The group were taking part in a training session with students in a river in Llangollen in May with no equipment at the time.
The firefighters were then approached by a kayaker who said a woman had fallen on nearby rocks and had a suspected broken leg, and accident which was not part of the exercise.
The fire crew then came up with a plan as Phil Salway and Tim Bullock went to their van to get equipment, Martin Bailey and Adrian Smith remained on the island to convey messages and both Dale Glover and Justin Cooley went to the scene.
They found the woman in severe pain and unable to move because of her injuries, but the team had a stretcher, trauma kit and a rescue sled which meant they could work together to transport the woman from the rocks to a place of safety.
The woman was then taken to hospital for treatment and has since gone onto make a full recovery.
Following the heroics, all six firefighters were nominated for the award. They will be going to the ceremony at Double Tree by Hilton Stoke-on-Trent on November 30.
Speaking about the nomination, Rob Barber said: “The firefighters took swift action in ensuring everything was put into place to rescue the woman safely.
“All six firefighters played their part to ensure they reached a place of safety before the woman was taken to hospital.
“They fully deserve their nomination for their life-saving actions they carried out that day.”
Watch manager Dale Glover said: “I’m extremely proud of the way we went about dealing with this incident, bearing in mind it was on one of the most notorious rivers in North Wales.
"As a result of careful planning, we were able to bring the injured kayaker to safety and are pleased she has gone onto make a speedy recovery.”
