Firefighters waded waist-deep in freezing water to rescue flood victims

Firefighters wading waist-deep in freezing water for up to seven hours at a time and an army of local people offering their help were amongst poignant stories emerging from the Boxing Day floods.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said it believed crews had rescued up to 1,000 people in less than 24 hours when water levels rose so rapidly on Saturday (26 December).

Two care homes were affected in Littleborough where residents were too vulnerable to be evacuated and firefighters moved them upstairs to safety.

Over the course of the day people across Greater Manchester called 999 for fire service assistance more than 500 times with 300 of those incidents directly flood related. 

County Fire Officer Peter O’Reilly said: “There were many, many calls from individuals just looking for help as water poured into their homes, damaging electrics and power supplies as well as belongings and personal possessions.

“There were many, many tales of people rallying together too. We couldn’t have done it without them and would like to thank each and every person who came out of their homes to help.”