The Fire Service in Derry has issued a warning over the dangers posed by slipways after a man had to be rescued when his car almost entered the River Foyle earlier this week.
The incident occurred at Culmore Point shortly before 1.00pm on Tuesday when the man’s car started to slip towards Lough Foyle’
An eyewitness told how the car’s wheels began spinning when the driver, a man aged in his 60s, attempted to drive off the slipway.
However, he was saved by two members of Transport NI (formerly Roads Service ) who were in the area at the time.
Darren McGrellis and Raymond Shields rushed to the man’s aid after hearing his cry for help..
The eyewttnessed told what happened.
“He was in a wee blue Fiesta on the slipway and it was right in the seaweed, and when he tried to drive off the wheels started spinning and the car started losing its grip,” he said
“The two fellas ran over to the car and managed to get him out, and he was on crutches.
“After they had him safe they jammed rocks under the wheels of the car to stop it from slipping in until the fire brigade came.”
He added: “Fair play to those two fellas, because they saved that man.”
One fire appliance from the Northland Road station then arrived on the scene, and, after attaching a rope to the tow bar of the Road Service lorry, firefighters assisted by Road Service personnel managed to pull the car off the slipway.
The man was uninjured and there was no damage sustained to the car.
A spokesperson for Transport NI said: “Two TransportNI members of staff, Darren McGrellis and Raymond Shields, answered shouts for help from a man in a vehicle on the slipway at Culmore Point.
“The vehicle was sliding towards the water.
“They managed to help the driver to safety and secured the vehicle until the emergency services arrived and they used their TNI vehicle to help tow the car off the slipway.”
Kevin Lynch, Derry District Commander for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, praised the actions of the Transport NI staff, and also issued a warning over the risk of taking vehicles onto slipways.
“I would like to commend the quick thinking and actions of the personnel from Transport NI,” he said.
“I would also urge members of the public not to put themselves at risk by driving onto slipways and to pay heed to safety signs in these areas to help stay safe.”
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