North Lincs broadband engineers praised for saving man’s life after he fell in river

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Two engineers have been praised for their quick thinking that helped to save a man’s life after he fell into a river whilst mowing his lawn.

Pete Etchell, 61, lives in West Butterwick, near Scunthorpe, with wife Cath. He had been cutting his grass when he slipped 20 feet down the embankment into the River Trent.

Waist deep in water, Pete was unable to pull himself out. After trying to pull him out herself, wife Cath ran to the front of the house to ask Quickline engineers Mike Anscombe and Wesley Naulls for their help.

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The pair grabbed a length of rope from their van and were able to pull Pete back to safety. They have now been praised by Quickline’s chief operating officer, Lee Allison.

He said: “This is an incredible story and we’re all rightfully proud at Quickline of how Mike and Wesley responded to what was a very serious situation.

“Their decisive actions helped rescue Peter and prevent him from spending longer in the cold water of the Trent. We’re pleased that Mike and Wesley were in the area at the time of the accident and were on hand to assist.”

After the incident, Pete said he had gone to check how soft the ground was before it gave away underneath him. Having been in the water for more than 15 minutes, he fears that without the help of the two engineers things could have been very different.

Wesley, left, and Mike, right, at the scene of where they rescued Pete
(Image: Quickline)

Peter said: “Unfortunately I have limited grip in my hands and so was unable to pull myself up. My wife and I would not have managed it without Mike and Wesley and I would definitely have slipped further into the river if they hadn’t come to my aid.

“Mike and Wesley have my eternal thanks and gratitude. They even returned the next morning, as they were still working in the area, to check on me. They’re a credit to Quickline and the company should feel very proud of them.”

Mike and Wesley were working in West Butterwick at the time of the accident and were on their lunch break when Cath approached them for help. Wesley said: “When you find yourself in a situation like that, you act on instinct.

Wesley, left, and Mike, right, with Pete, centre, who they saved after he fell into the River Trent whilst mowing his lawn
(Image: Quickline)

“Luckily, I did a rope training refresher course with Quickline earlier this year, so I knew exactly what to do. Anyone who lives or works in that area knows how dangerous the River Trent can be. It’s fast flowing and the water is very cold, especially at this time of year.”

He added: “Working together as a team, we managed to get Peter out of the water quickly, which was important. I’m just glad we were in the area at the time so we could help.”

Wesley’s colleague and fellow engineer Mike said: “When Peter’s wife Cath flagged us down, I just went into survival mode. The water was high and fast-flowing and there was nowhere for Peter to get a foothold to climb out.

“It’s all a bit of blur when I think back at what happened now, but I did what anyone would do in that situation.”

Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe

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Governments pledge to ban trail hunting in spotlight as Boxing Day hunts meet

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North Lincs broadband engineers praised for saving man’s life after he fell in river

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