Teenager hurt in dramatic cliffside rescue after ‘accidental’ fall in Chippenham
Emergency Services Launch Major Rescue Operation
A teenage girl plummeted down an embankment near the River Avon in Chippenham on Friday night, sparking a frantic rescue mission. The alarm went off just after 7pm when she fell several metres beneath the Gladstone Road bridge into a hard-to-reach spot.
Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance were quickly on the scene, backed up by three ambulance crews and a specialist Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) from Bristol. Firefighters also rushed in with around a dozen engines from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, alongside support from Avon Fire and Rescue, who brought two aerial ladders to the scene.
Heroic Rescue Hauls Teenager to Safety
Firefighters stabilised the injured girl before painstakingly lifting her up in a basket stretcher. She was then rushed to hospital with serious injuries that are thankfully not life-threatening.
Officials confirmed the fall was accidental and unrelated to any mental health issues. It remains unclear if she fell from the bridge itself or the adjacent wall.
Official Statements and Road Closures
“We were called at 7:21pm on 20 March about a person falling from height,” said a Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson. “Three crews arrived to find a female who had fallen down an embankment onto concrete. Avon Fire’s technical rescue team used specialist equipment to bring her to safety.”
Wiltshire Police confirmed they assisted with scene management. A spokesperson said: “We were called by ambulance at 7.15pm. Officers helped close footpaths and Gladstone Road during rescue. The area reopened just after 8.30pm.”
The swift, skillful teamwork of emergency services stopped this from becoming a tragic disaster by the River Avon.
