Man’s river rescue after bid to escape

PEOPLE have been urged to have their say about the future of libraries in Calderdale.

Calderdale Council is holding a public consultation from now until Monday, April 30, to drive a review of its 15 community libraries which include Brighouse, Elland, Stainland and Rastrick.

Clr Susan Press, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for communities and neighbourhood services, said: “We know how much libraries mean to local people and we are committed to maintaining high-quality services that meet their needs.

“We are reviewing our community libraries to ensure we continue to provide the best possible libraries service to residents in a cost-effective way to meet the service’s challenging requirement to save £160,000 by 2020. We urge people in each part of Calderdale to share their views.”

Presentations will take place at ward forums during March and April to provide more information and give people the chance to share their feedback. People can also have their say online at www. calderdale.gov.uk/libraries

The feedback will be used to shape proposals to be considered by the council’s Cabinet in summer. The car left behind at the BP petrol station on Leeds Road after the driver jumped into the River Calder to evade police around five minutes until fire crews arrived from Rastrick, Mirfield, Huddersfield and Ossett.

The man was rescued by a firefighter in a dry suit after a rescue ladder was lowered into the water which was around 18ft deep.

Inspector Graham Hawcroft of West Yorkshire Police praised the rescuers for acting quickly.

“He could quite easily have been swept away. Officers went down the banking and used their coats to stop him from being dragged off.

“He was quite a big fellow. Because of his size, and the strength of the water, they couldn’t pull him out. The managed to hang onto him for a few minutes.”

The man was taken to hospital for treatment and is understood to be recovering well. Police investigations are continuing.

A VW Golf was placed on a recovery truck at the BP garage and taken away shortly after the incident.

A West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesman said the man had been in the water for around 15 minutes.

“He was struggling to hold himself up as he was very cold. The water where he went in is about 18ft deep. He was being held by policemen on the bank side. There were two or three police officers with him.

“One of the officers was using a jacket and there was a dog handler using a rope. He was rescued and handed over to Yorkshire Ambulance Service.”