14 DAY TRIAL // Emergency services were called in to Wells Cathedral in Somerset yesterday afternoon after a woman plunged around 20 to 30 feet (6-9 meters) and became trapped between two turrets.
The woman, who was apparently on a tour of Wells Cathedral at the time of the accident, spent three hours trapped 150 feet (45 meters) above ground before being rescued by helicopter. According to the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue service, she fell from a 180-foot (55-meter) tall tower and became trapped in a void between two walls.
A spokesperson for the Avon and Somerset Police said a helicopter from RAF Kinloss in the north of Scotland winched the 68-year-old victim up and transported her to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. She suffered serious hip, arm and leg injuries, but they were not life-threatening.
The Mirror informs that the woman slid through a gap in a wall while she was visiting the cathedral together with a group of 12 adults. After a doctor got down and examined her, the victim was put on a stretcher and lifted onto the roof of the central tower. She was then winched on board an RAF rescue helicopter.
Dr. Paul Richards, the cathedral's administrator, said “A group of 12 adults were undertaking the final stage of a standard Cathedral High Parts Tour. While the group was undertaking a briefing within this space an incident occurred to one of the party members.”
“The Cathedral’s emergency procedure was immediately put into operation. The woman was winched to the roof of the main tower and from there taken by helicopter to Bristol.”
All tours at the towering church have been cancelled while investigators reviewed the circumstances of the accident.
A fire brigade spokesman said the rescue operation was complicated and involved “quite a few appliances in attendance,” including a rope rescue team. Teams from Wells, Shepton Mallet, and Bridgwater and Street attended the incident. “We set up a system of ropes within the cathedral and eventually managed to lift her up to the roof of the tower about 80m up. Our crews climbed up to reach her and then used ropes to lift her to the roof,” he detailed.
The Wells Cathedral dates from 1175 to 1490 and is dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle. The Gothic church serves as the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells and is considered one of the most beautiful cathedrals in England.