Flash flood ordeal (From Gazette & Herald)

Flash flood ordeal

AN ELDERLY Pickering couple escaped with their lives when they were caught by floods down south.

Octogenarian Tom Holliday and his wife, Rena, who is in her 70s, of Rosamund Avenue, were on the way home from Mildenhall in Suffolk along the A1101 Littleport to Wisbech Road. Although there had been flooding in the area, that road was not mentioned in flooding reports.

When Tom saw water on the road ahead he could still see road markings under the water. Used to the six-inch deep floods on Ryedale roads, plus flood warning signs, he inched ahead.

Tom recalled: "Then the trouble started! I sensed that the water level was rising and my wife told me - in a remarkably calm voice - there was water around her feet."

Suddenly gusts of wind were driving ripples of water towards the car. Tom tried to throw the car into reverse, but at this point the engine stalled.

"Luckily I had my mobile phone with me and it was fully charged. At first I could get no reply when I dialled 999, so it was a tremendous relief when a voice answered."

By now, the water was up to the top of the gear lever and the car was starting to float. "I asked for all three services," said Tom.

Rena opened the sun roof and Tom stood on the driving seat. Luckily, the roof had a manual opening. If it had been electric Mr and Mrs Holliday would have been trapped inside a rapidly filling car.

Tom continued: "I realised we might have to abandon ship via the roof and as I am 83 and my wife is 75 we did not relish the thought of plunging into the icy water.

"We felt very lonely at that point." By this time the car was drifting.

Then, to their relief, Tom and Rena heard distant sirens. Soon there was a fire tender and also a police helicopter hovering overhead.

Firemen lifted the wet and shivering couple out of the car and took them to shelter out of the chilly wind. An ambulance soon arrived so they were able to remove their soaking clothes and begin to warm up.

Tom had nothing but praise for the rescue services.

"As a result of our experience we are now even more sympathetic to the folk of Ryedale whose homes have been flooded," he said.

As for the car: it was rescued too, brought home in a transport but it is a write-off.

Updated: 16:28 Thursday, February 15, 2001