Tower rescue for sick bellringer

From the archive, first published Thursday 10th Nov 2005.

GAZETTE & HERALD: THE rope rescue team from Chippenham Fire Station was called to help an elderly man who collapsed in a bell tower at Westbury Church on Tuesday night.

The man, who was in his 70s, was thought to have suffered a stroke during bell ringing practice.

Westbury firefighters were initially called to the church, along with paramedics.

However, they felt that taking the man back down the narrow spiral stone staircase that led to the bell tower would be too traumatic for him.

The rope rescue teams were called from Chippenham and Trowbridge and they safely lowered the man through a hatch in the floor of the bell tower.

Pete Crow, part of the Chippenham team, said: "The best option was to bring him through an octagonal hole, about two metres across, in the floor.

"We managed to secure lines to the overhead beams and, using specialist equipment, managed to lower him down.

"We have done rescue practice in a bell tower before, so we are quite used to it."

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