Unknown heroes saved a man whose car was sinking in a stretch of the Thames in Westcliff on Sunday afternoon (January 5). A man was saved by passersby after his car went into the River Thames before emergency services were able to arrive at the scene.
Incredibly, the driver did not need further hospital treatment for injuries after the quick intervention of members of the public. At around 1.40pm on Sunday emergency services were alerted to an incident where a man was trapped in a car which had driven into the Thames. Thankfully, heroic members of the public, who had left the scene before the coastguard arrived, had worked together to bring the man to safety.
A representative for HM Coastguard in Southend shared: “HM Coastguard Southend would like to say a huge thanks to the members of the public who entered the water, at risk to themselves, to help extract the casualty from the vehicle in what was a very dynamic incident which was evolving quickly before emergency first responders could reach the scene.
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“Whilst we would never encourage members of the public to put themselves at risk, when they do and there is a successful outcome, it shows the community spirit we have in our City when someone goes to help someone in need. As the persons involved had already left the scene we were not able to speak and thank them directly.”
The man was out of the car before first responders arrived on the scene
(Image: HM Coastguard Southend-on-Sea)
No other passengers were in the car at the time. Emergency services worked together to make sure that the man was safe, before recovering the car, as the community worked together. A local cafe, Oliver’s Cafe in Westcliff, kept the man safe and warm, helping him to recover before first responders arrived at the scene.
A spokesperson for Essex Police shared: “We were alerted to an incident which began on Western Esplanade in Southend. A car had entered the water, and concerns had been raised for a man inside. A member of the public was quickly able to free the man and get him to safety. The man has been left in the care of medical professionals. Other agencies assisted with recovery of the vehicle from the water.”
The man involved received support from emergency services on the scene. A spokesperson from East of England Ambulance Service commented: “We were called just before 1.40pm on Sunday January 5 with reports that a vehicle had driven into the sea on the Western Esplanade in Southend. An ambulance, ambulance response vehicle and a mental health response vehicle were sent to the scene. The driver of the car, an adult man, was assessed and did not require transportation to hospital.”
HM Coastguard reminded members of the public to get in touch in an emergency saying “We would ask that any incident of this nature to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. We wish the casualty in question a full and quick recovery. Should you see anyone in trouble on or near the coast, don’t hesitate to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard, you could save someone’s life!”