Caravan park flooding rescue drama
[gallery] Dozens of families were today being rescued from caravan parks in Wales after torrential rain battered the region and left it under water.
Dozens of families were today being rescued from caravan parks in Wales after torrential rain battered the region and left it under water.
Holiday-makers have been forced to flee sites in Aberystwyth, while six people were airlifted to safety.
Click on the image to the right for more photos
About 60 people staying at the Riverside Caravan Park made for higher ground after water from the River Leri began to flood the site.
Water climbed to more than 4ft and was expected to continue rising.
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Six people in two of the caravans – three youngsters and three elderly people – were airlifted to safety.
Firefighters, the coast guard, an RAF helicopter and paramedics launched a rescue operation at the site in Aberystwyth, a popular holiday destination for people from Shropshire and the Midlands, just after 2.30am.
Stephen Smith, who has owned the site for the past 22 years, said today: "The caravan park at the moment is just like a lake. It's hard to say how much damage has been done but it's definitely substantial."
Other caravan parks affected included Mill House Caravan Park, where 11 people were rescued.
In the village of Talybont 25 properties wereevacuated and residents taken to a local community centre.
At Aberystwyth Holiday Village, a handful of caravans were moved to higher ground as a precaution while houses near Borth were also evacuated.
A spokesman from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "Numerous people are surrounded by flood water and are requiring rescue by fire service boats, inshore life boat teams and RAF helicopters."
By David Lumb
