Family pay tribute to Good Samaritan who died trying to help dig car out of snow

The family of a man who died after trying to help free a fellow motorist stuck in a snow drift have paid tribute to him.

Richard Fiddy, 74, from Mattishall, got out of his car to help at Bergh Apton just south of Norwich on Thursday afternoon.

The Good Samaritan collapsed after using a shovel to try to free the car trapped on a country lane.

Driving conditions across the region were treacherous this week after blizzards whipped up snow and blew it into deep drifts on roads.

Mr Fiddy had been driving home through the snow from Beccles after dropping off his partner Heather Savory who was due to go on holiday to India with friends.

A young couple - Cameron Russell and his partner Kiera O'Donoghue - tried to help revive him for 40 minutes until ambulance crews arrived and took over, but their efforts were in vain.

Mr Russell said he was convinced Mr Fiddy had died as soon as he collapsed.

He and his partner had spent all day using their 4x4 to help drivers stuck in drifts.

They looked after Mr Fiddy's King Charles Spaniel Lucy until they could deliver it back to Miss Savory later.

Mr Fiddy's partner Heather, who'd lived with him for 30 years, said he was the sort of man who loved to help people. He was on medication for his heart since having an operation to fix a faulty valve in 1999.

He'd spent most of his life working in agriculture and was a countryside lover who enjoyed shooting and other outdoors hobbies.