ELDERLY MAN ‘FOUND ON FLOOR’ OF REMOTE COTTAGE WITHOUT POWER
Rescuers braved waist-high drifts to find pensioner who’d been ‘unable to get up for several hours’
AN ELDERLY man was found on the floor of his remote North Staffordshire cottage after mountain rescue teams were sent out following heavy snowfall.
Police enlisted the Buxton Mountain Rescue Team to complete welfare checks in rural areas after several homes were left surrounded by drifting snow and with no power.
They asked for checks in the Flash and Knotbury area – which sits off the A53 near Leek – after it was wiped out with snow at the weekend.
Snow ploughs were brought in but the rescue team still encountered waist-high drifts as they tried to visit properties.
They carried out checks for five hours between 5pm and 10pm. But it was during the second round between 12.30am and 5am that they went to the aid of a man found on the floor of his home.
A mountain rescue team spokesman said: “Team members attended a remote cottage in the same area as the previous call, using the Toyota Hilux and Land Rover Defender as well as on foot following some of the routes as per the previous call.
“The elderly occupant, who was found on the floor of his home, had been there for several hours and was unable to get up.
“After a thorough examination, he was found to be cold but otherwise okay. He was assisted to his feet and given warm food. The team stood down at about 5am.
“It’s been a busy weekend for several mountain rescue teams from around the country.
“We would like to thank the dedication for helping others that all of our volunteer team members show.”
The Sentinel has reported how hundreds of properties in and around the Moorlands spent Saturday and Sunday with no power after Storm Arwen battered the area.