Girl, 12, impaled on railings at Bidston Hill, - 26th Aug 2010 12:35pm
A 12-year-old girl impaled her foot on spiked railings and had to be cut free by three fire crews at a Merseyside beauty spot last night.
The rescue operation swung into action at 7.30pm when the girl’s friends called the emergency services to Bidston Hill, Wirral, where she was stuck fast.
The distressed youngster was given oxygen by paramedics as firefighters from Birkenhead and Wallasey and Toxteth’s special rescue team worked for 30 minutes to free her.
Watch manager Dave Shanahan from Birkenhead fire station said: "She was playing out with friends when it happened.
"It was a metal spike about three inches long that went in through the sole of her foot, but didn't go all the way through."
It is thought that the girl spiked her foot after running downhill and in trying to use the railings to stop herself had impaled her foot on one of the lower spikes.
The girl’s worried family arrived at the scene to see rescue workers attempting to cut her free.
Watch manager Shanahan said: "It was just a very awkward the way it was placed, it was difficult trying to get at it.
"It took about 30 minutes because it was up on the hill and we had to get the equipment up there.
"We tried a couple of other things first, but the vibrations were hurting her too much with it being hard iron metal we went for an angle grinder in the end and that did the job.
"She was very good though.
"We basically had to cut part of the fence away and she was taken to hospital with that attached."
The 12-year-old was then ferried to Arrowe Park hospital with a foot long piece of iron still in her foot for doctors to remove.
THE ECHO
The rescue operation swung into action at 7.30pm when the girl’s friends called the emergency services to Bidston Hill, Wirral, where she was stuck fast.
The distressed youngster was given oxygen by paramedics as firefighters from Birkenhead and Wallasey and Toxteth’s special rescue team worked for 30 minutes to free her.
Watch manager Dave Shanahan from Birkenhead fire station said: "She was playing out with friends when it happened.
"It was a metal spike about three inches long that went in through the sole of her foot, but didn't go all the way through."
It is thought that the girl spiked her foot after running downhill and in trying to use the railings to stop herself had impaled her foot on one of the lower spikes.
The girl’s worried family arrived at the scene to see rescue workers attempting to cut her free.
Watch manager Shanahan said: "It was just a very awkward the way it was placed, it was difficult trying to get at it.
"It took about 30 minutes because it was up on the hill and we had to get the equipment up there.
"We tried a couple of other things first, but the vibrations were hurting her too much with it being hard iron metal we went for an angle grinder in the end and that did the job.
"She was very good though.
"We basically had to cut part of the fence away and she was taken to hospital with that attached."
The 12-year-old was then ferried to Arrowe Park hospital with a foot long piece of iron still in her foot for doctors to remove.
THE ECHO
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