Man dragged to safety from river

A man was rescued from the River Severn in Telford yesterday by two passers-by who managed to drag him from the water before emergency services arrived.

Emergency services were called just before 10pm to reports of a person in the river at Wharfage, Ironbridge.

Two fire crews and a rescue boat were dispatched and police and paramedics also rushed to the scene, but he had already been pulled to safety.

The man, who is thought to have fallen in by accident, was treated by paramedics for shock and taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

Denise Wakefield, a Telford police spokeswoman, said: "We received a call at around 9.55pm to reports of a male in the water directly outside the White Hart Inn. Police att-ended, but by the time they got there the man was out of the river and was being attended to by paramedics.

She said: "Two passers-by had managed to get him out of the river before emergency services arrived."

John Hawker, a West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman, said: "We initially started to send a lot of resources. However, they were all stood down because an ambulance arrived first and the man was already out of the water. He was conveyed to Princess Royal Hospital but did not appear to have any injuries."

A bar worker at The White Hart, who did not wish to be named, said the man had fallen in by accident.

"It was our relief manager who helped to get him out. He had popped out to get some money bags and heard him shouting," he said.

"It seems he was walking along, slipped down the steps and fell in.

"We don't know who he was."