You are in > manchester.com  > News > Man rescued from river as floods threaten region

General Manchester news

Man rescued from river as floods threaten region

22/01/2008

A man had to be rescued from rising water yesterday after heavy rain turned the River Irwell into a torrent.

Three men got into trouble after their inflatable boat failed to cope with the strength of the river in Bury, where flood warnings are in place, reports the BBC.

Although two people managed to escape the rising waters, one man had to be rescued by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, which took advantage of a riverside hatch to pull him to safety.

His plight, which lasted more than an hour, was captured on camera and aired on regional television yesterday.

Flood warnings have been issued in north Manchester, Wigan, Hyde, Didsbury, Stockport, Salford and Altrincham.

In fact, both the River Irwell and River Roch have burst their banks and water has threatened to swamp homes and businesses in Salford, Ramsbottom and Rochdale.

Meanwhile, the West Coast Mainline has been hit by water flooding from fields onto tracks and train services between Manchester and the east of the country have been badly affected by heavy rainfall.