Man dies after being swept away in flood water in Shropshire

He's the third person to have died as Storm Babet batters the UK.

Author: Kellie MaddoxPublished 20th Oct 2023
Last updated 20th Oct 2023

A man in his 60s has died after getting caught in fast-flowing flood water in Shropshire.

West Mercia Police said a brook breached a road in Cleobury Mortimer on Friday morning, with reports the man went under the water just before 10.40am.

Despite the efforts of officers and Shropshire Fire and Rescue, he was found dead at 12.35pm.

Formal identification has yet to take place but the family have been informed and are being supported by officers.

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "When ambulance crews arrived on scene they quickly began working with fire and police colleagues to try and find the man, who was reported to have gone under the water by a member of the public.

"Following a thorough search and rescue operation, the man was rescued from the water. However, sadly it quickly became apparent that nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene."

The ambulance trust said it had sent sent one ambulance, two paramedic officers, the Trust's Hazardous Area Response Team and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham to the scene near to Furnace Mill Fishery.

The man is the third person to be killed as Storm Babet sweeps across the country.

Police Scotland previously said a falling tree hit a van near Forfar in Angus on Thursday evening, killing the 56-year-old driver.

A 57-year-old woman also died on Thursday after being swept into a river in the region.

Elsewhere, Suffolk and Derbyshire have declared major incidents due to the conditions.

Hear all the latest news from across the West Midlands on the hour, every hour, on 103.1 and 97.2FM (Wolverhampton, Black Country and Shropshire), 96.4FM (Birmingham), 97 and 102.9FM (Coventry and Warwickshire), 97.6FM, 102.8FM and 96.7FM (Herefordshire and Worcestershire), DAB, at freeradio.co.uk, and on the Free Radio app.