A taxi driver who survived for fourteen hours trapped inside his car in a ditch full of water, has spoken for the first time about his ordeal.
Mark Beckford from Kent spent nearly two weeks in hospital following the crash and says he was just minutes from death. David Johns has been to meet him.
A man was trapped in his car for 13 hours after he drove into a ditch in Romney Marsh.
The 44-year-old driver was discovered trapped in the vehicle, in an air pocket towards the rear of the car.
The driver was returning from work at around 2am on Tuesday morning, August 13 and was discovered by a lorry driver at 4pm the same day.
Station Manager Rob Sherwood said:
"This was a very unusual rescue and they all did a good job in difficult circumstances. I would like to praise the lorry driver for spotting the car and calling 999, if he hadn’t stopped for a look then the man would have been in there even longer and it might have been a different outcome."
A man who was trapped in his car for several hours has been rescued by the emergency services in Kent.
The 44-year-old driver was returning from work in Ashford to Romney Marsh at 2am on Tuesday morning when the accident happened.
However, the man's car was not discovered until shortly before 4pm the same day- almost 14 hours later.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called after a lorry driver spotted the back wheels of a car upside down in a ditch on the A2070.
Firefighters discovered a man still trapped in the vehicle in an air pocket towards the rear of the car.
Romney Marsh Watch Manager, Alan Brown, said: "The car was almost submerged in four feet of water."
– Rob Sherwood, Station ManagerThis was a very unusual rescue and they all did a good job in difficult circumstances. I would like to praise the lorry driver for spotting the car and calling 999, if he hadn’t stopped for a look then the man would have been in there even longer and it might have been a different outcome. Our firefighters managed to get into the car and provided an initial medical response until the ambulance teams quickly took over. All the emergency services at the scene worked as a team to achieve this rescue."
Executive Manager of Lydd Airport, Hani Mutlaq, talks to ITV reporter Tom Savvides about the airport's expansion plan that has now been approved by the Government.
The creation of a nuclear waste facility on Kent's Romney Marsh now looks unlikely after Shepway District Councillors voted against the proposal last night. The final say will rest with the council leader today.
A public meeting will be held tonight to discuss plans for the future of Romney Marsh in Kent.
Topics on the agenda include the case for Dungeness C and an update on the consultation for a possible nuclear waste research and disposal facility at the site.