‘Should be a scene on Emmerdale’

The man rescued by a huge collective effort from the local emergency services on Sunday night has relived the incident, with his wife describing that it “should be a scene on Emmerdale”.

Horst Froehling took a tumble on Sunday whilst checking the rising flood waters for a brook at the bottom of an embankment on his small holding near Trelydan.

In agony, and with a broken bone clearly showing through his leg, there was no way that he could be moved. The emergency services were called and a team effort from the local firefighters, mountain rescue, Air Ambulance, Welsh Ambulance and even his neighbour’s tractor saved the day.

“We had just looked at our brook as water-flow was very high,” said Horst. “I had good wellies on and was only walking. I just stepped out and slid down with my left foot. It was a freak accident.

“I only fell about two yards but was at the bottom of an embankment. It was a bad break and I lost a lot of blood.”

His location meant specialist teams were required. Once his condition was stable enough to be moved, the firefighters carried him up the steep embankment and his neighbour’s tractor was then used to cart him to safety. He was transported to hospital by ambulance.

Horst, who is the Managing Director for DHL Trade Fairs and Events, had an operation to repair his leg on Monday and is now recuperating at home, but the family are grateful for all the effort that went into his rescue.

“Thank you so much to the fire service, mountain rescue, air ambulance team and ambulance service, not to mention Stan for his tractor!” said his wife, Wendy. “To Roger for keeping vigil on the poor patient, Laura for running over the fields with quilts, a torch, etc, and for taking care of Cassie and Lizzy whilst Janine and Andy brought me back from the hospital.

“Pulling Horst on a stretcher up a muddy hill in the rainy dark dingle was no mean feat. It was a brilliant rescue. What a fantastic group of people... it should be a scene on Emmerdale.”

Horst and Wendy moved to the Welshpool area five years ago and said they have made some amazing friends and wish they had moved here years earlier.

It’s been a swashbuckling start to the year for the pair. Only a week earlier Wendy suffered a terrifying paragliding accident whilst on holiday in Tenerife. Thankfully she too was OK and able to tell the story.

PICTURES: Provided by Wendy Froehling.