Man with water up to his neck freed from rocks after trying to help child

Rescuers have freed a man who had water up to his neck after getting his leg trapped in rocks off the coast of Norfolk.

Emergency responders worked to reassure the man and keep his head above water, with the tide having started to come in by the time he got stuck by the East Promenade in the seaside town of Sheringham.

The incident happened after he tried to help his child who had slipped, and the man’s leg then reportedly became wedged between two boulders.

The Coastguard said it received a call just after 5.30pm on Sunday and he was not freed until around 9.15pm – almost four hours after the 999 call was made.

Zach Pedley from the Coastguard said it was a “very frightening experience” for the man, who was treated by East of England Ambulance Service paramedics.

Firefighter Russell Cox was first on the scene and told Sky News that when he arrived the man was already submerged up to his chest.

“The waves were breaking above his head… it was quite serious when we turned up and we were quite concerned about how he was trapped and how we were going to help him.

“He’d had a previous accident so he had a cast on his leg and it was the cast that was trapped between the wall and the rock that was preventing him getting his leg out.

“The tide went, disappeared a little bit, and we could see his foot, so one of the urban search and rescue team dropped in below the rock, and we managed to pull the two pins out holding his brace in place.

“It was then a case of the critical care doctors giving him plenty of drugs… and we pulled him out.”

Mr Cox added: “He was lovely and he was really positive. Even though he was cold… and he must have been in severe pain, he was so positive throughout everything.”

No details about his age or where he is from have been released.

Witness Lissy Jackson said the man appeared to have injured his leg during his ordeal.

She said: “I saw a number of rescue workers at the scene, all crowded around the rocks attempting to free the man. He had an injured, trapped leg so they did not have much success.

“I later then saw two large trucks pull in, with equipment to aid in breaking the rocks to break the man free.”

Cromer and Sheringham Coastguard rescue teams were sent to the scene with Sheringham RNLI Lifeboat, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, Norfolk Police and East of England Ambulance Service.

Sam Stockadle, a senior Coastguard maritime operations officer, said: “It’s such good news that this man has been freed. Everyone worked together on scene to look after the man and also to free him as soon as was practically possible.”

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(c) Sky News 2019: Man with water up to his neck freed from rocks after trying to help child