Elderly couple 'praised for remaining calm in frightening conditions' after getting trapped by floodwater
The couple were rescued by fire crews who used a boat
Firefighters in Devon have rescued an elderly couple after they were trapped in floodwater.
Emeregncy services were called to Ashreigney - in the Torridge area - yesterday morning to repots of the elderly couple trapped in their car in
Firefighters - in dry suits - decided it wasn't safe to enter the fast-flowing-icy-moving water at first and had to wait for a team from Barnstaple with a boat to arrive.
A spokesperson for Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue said: "The Control Operator stayed on the call with the couple giving advice and reassurance for some time until the arrival of the crews. During this time, the water had risen substantially and the couple were sat in their vehicle, almost up to their chests in icy cold water, it was not safe for them to leave the vehicle due to the fast flow of the water outside of it.
"Once in attendance, crews donned their dry suits to make an attempt at a rescue. Due to the flowing water, crews were unable to reach the vehicle safely and had to await the arrival of the team from Barnstaple with their boat.
"The boat was launched and both elderly occupants were rescued from their vehicle and taken to dry land where they were checked over by Ambulance Crews. The occupants were uninjured but were suffering with effects of the cold. The elderly couple remained calm throughout the incident, considering the frightening conditions they were in."
The weather disruption continues this morning - there's currently a Met Office yellow weather warning for rain in force and a number of flood alerts across the county.
Across the South West there's 18 flood alerts and warnings issued by the Environment Agency and in Barnstaple the flooding in the Westleigh area means some bus services are having to divert.
There's more about the latest weather warnings and this week's forecast here