Community rallies to help trapped ambulance crews reach care home

WS240121 TRAPPED AMBULANCES
Residents arrived on the street carrying shovels after messages calling for help were sent out on social media Credit: Media Wales

A Rhondda community came together to help dig out two snow-trapped ambulance crews trying to reach a nursing home at the top of a steep hill.

Residents in Treherbert joined forces on Sunday to rescue the frontline health workers, who had become trapped whilst trying to climb Ninian Street in the snow and ice.

That prompted neighbours on the street to send out a social media message calling for help for the ambulance crews.

Within minutes, locals had arrived carrying shovels.

Other residents turned up with their quad bikes to transport an ambulance crew to the top of the hill.

Bethan Hewitt, a resident from the community, said the actions of the 40-strong neighbourhood team had been incredible.She said: "It was amazing how quickly a community came together - it was the Rhondda at its best."At 9.50am this morning there was an ambulance stuck on the hill, within minutes men on quad bikes were here after it went out on Facebook messenger."The crews had to leave their ambulances."All the men were out with their shovels, they had to take the crews on their quad bikes with their gear to Ty Ross."Another ambulance got stuck and hit a car as it went back down the hill, there was slight damage."A paramedic was also stuck and wasn’t able to get up the hill.”

Ambulance crews were trapped trying to climb Ninian Street Credit: Media Wales

She added: “A gentleman came in a Jeep to get to the front of the ambulance."There’s a giant grit box at the top of the street and they were filling sled fulls of grit to put on the road."Some as young as 14 and 15 were helping, there were 40 people helping, it was fantastic.”By the time the crews came back from attending the care home the road was gritted and the ambulances were dug out."It’s a horrific hill and we go through this every year, with the most vulnerable people in the care homes you would think it was gritted" Bethan said."It was so fantastic everything was done and dusted within 40 minutes and then they came to grit the hill."


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