Teenager Antonia Weaver today told of the moment she thought she was going to die after getting trapped up to her waist in thick mud at a Telford beauty spot.
Firefighters – led by her uncle Mark, a sub-officer at Tweedale fire station – battled for 45 minutes, digging with their hands to rescue the 16-year-old, before she was pulled clear by a Land Rover.
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Antonia was stuck fast, suffering from hypothermia and sinking second by second, when her screams for help were finally answered near the Hinkshay pools, off Hinkshay Road, Dawley, yesterday.
Sub-officer Weaver – on his 42nd birthday – held on to the frightened youngster while colleagues used their hands to dig her out and pull her to safety.
The ordeal began after Antonia, of Johnston Road, Dawley, went for a walk to Dawley Mount with her 17-year-old brother Kieron.
She said she collected some coloured rocks and headed off to the pools to wash them.
“I saw a wooden beam crossing a stretch of mud but the mud looked dry and safe so I walked over it,” she said.
“I slipped and went ankle-deep into the mud.”
She said the more she struggled, the deeper she sank. She said Kieron went for help, but the dog-walkers he met thought it was a prank.
Antonia said she began to panic and screamed for help and fortunately her cries were heard.
“I was really glad to see anyone, let alone Uncle Mark,” she said.
“It was comforting having a member of the family there. I’m just glad to be alive because at one point I was so cold my eyes started drooping and I thought I was going to die.”
Sub-officer Weaver said: “I only realised it was Antonia when I went up to her and the lads knew it was my niece as well.
“I initially supported her so that she didn’t sink any lower and then colleagues dug down to free her.
“I was just worried about her and after we had managed to pull her clear I phoned her dad Darren, my brother.”
Antonia has an eight-year-old brother, Joshua, and a step-sister, Toni-Anne, 18.
Picture: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.
By Simon Hardy
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14 Comments
Hope she was ok – most have been very distressing for her family
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What on earth was she playing at, not an easy thing to do accidently in this pool . Suppose we’ll have to have these pools fenced off aswell now??
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stupid – couldn’t have been an accident, these pools are resonably safe for the vast majority!
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i have to say we know this girl well,only antonia could do something like that……….we love u antonia
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Oh my god. That’s my friend!.. Whaaaat? Hope shes okay.
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Antonia you silly sod lol
Glad your ok sweety.
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I thing the council or the town park rangers should do something about that, I think the pool is in the town park anyway, someone could get really hurt next time. glad she is all right.
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Shame the dog walkers thought it was a prank – suppose thats indicative of todays society – suspicious minds combined with the heightened fear of personal attacks.
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Actually I can sympathise you dont need to walk too far from the Hinksay pools to find some pretty deep but inconspicuous mud pools. I found that out for myself several years ago, although I did manage to escape without the help of the Fire Service lol
I suppose these pools are the remnants of the old canal?
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I attended to Antonia along with my collegue in the white shirt. Im the one in green on the left getting the BP cuff out to do the basic observations. It was fortunate that someone heard her scream for help. Thank fully she didn’t need to go to hospital, even though there was a second ambulance as we pulled out. My collegue and i were talking about strange jobs before we got this call.
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mr j said:
“I thing the council or the town park rangers should do something about that, I think the pool is in the town park anyway, someone could get really hurt next time. glad she is all right.”
Like you, I’m glad she’s OK, but what exactly do you think should be done about it? There are loads of signs round the Town Park pools warning of deep mud, there are good paths – what do you want – them filling in, or perhaps covered with safety netting? (might annoy the anglers a bit!).
Ever been to the seaside? There’s lots of really scary water there.
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Mary Roberts i used to play about in them pools they are easy to get to and yes they do need fencng off.
All kids play there she is not a stupid girl unlike some that play there she was just trying to get across
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Oh come on Daisy, you can’t fence off everything that might be dangerous. Antonia had a frightening accident, luckily she didn’t suffer any lasting harm. These pools are in the southern, wild part of the Town Park, and should be left as they are.
Accidents will happen (I should know!) but hopefully she and others will have learned from this one.
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it was very scarey i do say so myself and there was no warning signs i was just trying to get across and no it was not on perpose it was an acciedent iam very carful of my own safty tht was just unlucky it happend to me imagine it was a todler in tht situation your own child it hapend to and they might not of had a luky excaope like i did just think bout tht insted of those nasty coments and thankyou people who did belive me antonia herself xx
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