Off-duty fireman helps woman trapped in flipped car in Stretford (From Messenger Newspapers)

Off-duty fireman helps woman trapped in flipped car in Stretford

4:31pm Thursday 28th February 2013 in News By Kate Banks, Reporter

A MYSTERY off-duty firefighter who came across a car lying on its side in Stretford was first on the scene to help free a woman trapped inside.

Crews from Stretford and Sale fire stations were called to the incident on Edge Lane at around 12.50pm today and found that a member of the public had already managed to stabilise the car, a more difficult task than would ordinarily be the case as it was on a hill.

Keiran Gillam, watch manager at Stretford Fire Station, said: “We arrived and saw two or three people doing emergency stabilisation of the car, it looked like he had taken charge and it allowed the paramedics to get to the casualty to begin helping her.”

The off-duty firefighter told crews he was from Ashton but they did not manage to catch his name during the fast-developing incident and so will be checking their internal logs in order to try and trace him.

When Firefighters had removed the windscreen of the Toyota Yaris and freed the 37-year-old woman from the car, she was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital by paramedics as she was suffering from back pain.

Greater Manchester Police closed the road for around an hour but traffic is now moving again.

Cllr David Acton, chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “This shows the character of GMFRS firefighters – they never truly see themselves as off-duty and are regularly prepared to step in and use their expertise even when they’re not with their crew and in uniform.

“Hopefully, this woman will recover quickly thanks to the actions of this firefighter from Ashton and his on-duty colleagues who turned up shortly afterwards.

“Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service now rescues more people from cars than house fires and, as a result, firefighters and community are working every to help people be safer on our roads.”