The RAF (Royal Air Force) was called to the Wells Cathedral in Somerset, England, to rescue a 68-year-old woman who was trapped between a void located between two walls in the church’s bell tower. The woman was trapped for three hours before the rescue team came to her aid.
According to a spokesperson for the cathedral, the woman was part of a 12-person group that was touring the top of the cathedral with two tour guides. During the tour, she fell 30 feet and became lodged between two turrets located 150 feet from the ground. Based on police reports, she sustained pelvic and arm injuries from the accident.
Marc House, a representative from the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue team, said that they had to call in specialist crews in order to come up with the best plan to get the woman down. The RAF was called to the scene after they decided that it was the best way to rescue her from the bell tower comfortably and without adding further injures. The helicopter came and landed on the Cathedral Green and four RAF personnel rescued the woman. The woman was given pain medication and then brought to the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol for medical treatment.
Wells Cathedral administrator Dr. Paul Richards said that they would be investigating how the accident happened, and the cathedral will be closed for tours during this time.
The woman was said to be part of the cathedral’s “high part” tours wherein a tour group is brought to hidden parts of the cathedral where they can enjoy fantastic views of Somerset and Glastonbury Tor. Richards suspects that the woman fell in between the gaps on the floor of the 775-year-old cathedral.
A representative for the Health and Safety Executive said that they intend to fully cooperate with the local authorities regarding the accident.
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