Fire traps three people on balconies of Minehead flats

FIRE crews mounted a major operation in Minehead to rescue three people trapped on the upper floors of a block of flats which caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday, July 24.
The residents were unable to escape from the property in The Parks, which comprised seven flats, after the blaze broke out in the ground floor rear area of the building.
They became trapped on balconies and were eventually led to safety down a 135-feet high ladder raised by fire crews.
Others did manage to flee the building and they raised the alarm by calling the emergency services, who responded by sending firefighters from four stations in Minehead, Porlock, Williton, and Taunton, a command support unit from Wiveliscombe, and an incident support unit from Taunton, as well as a number of ambulances.
The incident started at about 2 am on Tuesday, and two firemen wearing breathing apparatus entered the building to put out the blaze using a hose reel jet.
An investigation was started later in the day to decide on the cause of the fire.
Photo submitted.

Second holiday death at Butlins in weeks

A SECOND young woman in seven weeks has died at Butlins holiday centre, in Minehead.
Neither death involved suspicious circumstances, although the first, in April, was initially treated by police as a murder inquiry.
The latest incident saw a woman collapse during a night out at Butlins on Saturday, June 9.
She was rushed by ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, but later died.
The woman, aged in her early 30s and who was thought to be from the Exeter area, collapsed at about 10 pm.
A Butlins spokesperson said: “This is a sad and tragic incident. We have contacted the woman's family and are doing all we can for them.”
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and the matter was now being handled by the coroner.
Photo submitted.

New air ambulance quickly in action in West Somerset

THE new Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance helicopter went into service on Thursday, March 1, and almost immediately flew on a mission in West Somerset.
The air ambulance was called to Minehead when an elderly woman was taken ill during the afternoon.
It was only the crew’s third mission in the new Eurocopter EC 135 aircraft, which offers a quicker, quieter, and smoother flight than the Bolkow 105dbs it has replaced.
The distinctive yellow colour helicopter landed on the Minehead Town Football Club pitch off Irnham Road ready to airlift the patient.
Unfortunately, the woman was understood to have died before she could be flown to hospital.
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance service has been operating since 2000 and has helped to save hundreds of lives, receiving on average three to four calls a day.
It has taken the air ambulance trust two years of fund-raising to upgrade to the new generation of aircraft.
The helicopter costs more than £3,500 a day to run and is funded entirely by charitable donations.
The new aircraft was officially launched by the Princess Royal at The Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton.
It has moved from its previous base in Henstridge, between Sherborne and Shaftesbury, to a new home at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil airfield, which provides improved facilities for the aircraft and crew and should help it to more quickly reach the scene of an emergency.

• Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M010015. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.