Firefighters hang man on stretcher during operation

Shoppers at the newly opened Aldi on Magic Roundabout in Swindon and passers-by will have seen a man on a stretcher suspended high in the air on Saturday afternoon.

The firefighters at the station carried out a rescue operation using a cherry picker.

The scenario involved getting a man on a stretcher from the roof of the station safely to the ground. A brave firefighter volunteered to take on the task.

Photos shared by Swindon Fire Station showed the stretcher being hung from the cherry picker’s cage and lowered to the ground.

Dorset and Wiltshire fire and rescue teams regularly practice emergency scenarios in the region.

In December, fire crews from two Wiltshire fire stations were called to a leisure centre in Royal Wootton Bassett for a “hazardous materials exercise” – and immediately apologised to local residents for raising the alarm.

During the training at Lime Kiln Leisure Centre, several members of the amateur theatre group WBLETS played the role of ‘victims’ related to contact with dangerous substances.