A team of residents in the Rhondda area came together to dig out two emergency ambulances and a Rapid Response Vehicle that had become stuck in the snow over the weekend.
The life-saving medics had been trying to help sick elderly patients when they became stuck during the inclement weather conditions which have caused widespread travel disruption around the country.
Due to the heavy snow and icy roads, the emergency vehicles became stuck on Treherbert Street as they made their way towards a nursing home.
Within minutes of the vehicles becoming stuck, residents in Ninian Street published several posts on Facebook, alerting fellow residents to the unfolding situation.
It was not long before dozens of people turned up with shovels and quad bikes to help the ambulance crews get up the hill to Ty Ross nursing home.
Local resident Bethan Hewitt told Wales Online that the actions of the 40-strong neighbourhood team had been incredible.
She said: “It was amazing how quickly a community came together – it was the Rhondda at its best.
“At 9.50 am this morning there was an ambulance stuck on the hill, within minutes men on quad bikes were here after it went out on Facebook messenger. The crews had to leave their ambulances.
“All the men were out with their shovels, they had to take the crews on their quad bikes with their gear to Ty Ross.
“Another ambulance got stuck and hit a car as it went back down the hill; there was slight damage.
“A paramedic was also stuck and wasn’t able to get up the hill.”
She added: “A gentleman came in a Jeep to get to the front of the ambulance.
“There’s a giant grit box at the top of the street, and they were filling sled fulls of grit to put on the road.
“Some as young as 14 and 15 were helping, there were 40 people helping, it was fantastic.”
Mrs Hewitt added said: “With covid, we have a group chat in Ninian Street. By the time the crews came back, the road was gritted, and the ambulances were dugout.
“It’s a horrific hill, and we go through this every year, with the most vulnerable people in the care homes you would think it was gritted.
“It was so fantastic everything was done and dusted within 40 minutes and then they came to grit the hill.”
A Welsh Ambulance Service spokeswoman said:
“We were called [on 24th January] at approximately 9:31 am to reports of a medical emergency at an address in Treherbert.
“We responded with two ambulances and one rapid response vehicle.
“Due to the recent snowfall and icy conditions, we were also assisted by local members of the public and are very grateful for such community support.”
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this morning.we had our road gritted by
One must wonder what tyres were being used. Might I suggest that such vehicles are equipped with Green Diamond tyres? These tyres use a summer compound rubber with a winter M+S tread pattern. What makes them different is that within the rubber there are grains of silcone carbide. When the weight of the vehicles bears down upon the tyre, these grains poke out and act as sandpaper on compacted snow or ice.
I use them on a comms/rescue vehicle and they are fantastic on snow and ice. I have never been stuck unless in very deep snow where it bellies out the vehicle.
Looking at the pictures, Green Diamonds would have conquered that hill with ease.