A SHROPSHIRE COUPLE who cheated death after their car plunged 270ft down a ravine today said they were the “luckiest people in the world”.

Dotty Bradley was knocked unconscious during the terrifying incident which left her trapped in a car 6ft underwater. Her husband Billy, who was also injured in the crash, managed to drag her to safety.

Rescuers, who found the couple perched on a rock, said they were stunned they had escaped with so few injuries.

Mr and Mrs Bradley, from Ludlow, were returning from the beach with friends Mike and Roz Sargent, who were travelling in a separate car, when the accident happened.

Their BMW left the remote road near Llanidloes on Sunday morning and plunged down the ravine at Ffrwd Fawr Waterfall, Dylife, into 6ft of water after being involved in a collision with another vehicle.

Control

“We are the luckiest people in the world,” Mrs Bradley, 57, said today.

“I know the car was out of control on the road but I don’t remember much because I was knocked unconscious. I do remember that the car was tipping down and started to go down this huge drop.”

Mrs Bradley, who suffered cuts and bruises, told how her husband, a 58-year-old builder, battled to free her at the bottom of the ravine.

She said: “I was unconscious underwater so Billy had to get me out. He could not get the belt undone, bearing in mind he also had a broken collar bone. He managed to drag me to a rock.”

Police and paramedics discovered the pair perched on the rock, but called for back up from the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team because they could not reach them.

Mr and Mrs Bradley were taken to hospital in Bangor.

Mrs Bradley added: “We all hear terrible things about the NHS, but everyone who helped us was absolutely wonderful. We can not thank them enough, the doctors, the ambulance and the mountain rescue team.”

Rescuers said the incident was a “horrendous” crash.

Flight Sergeant Andy Carnell, for the RAF, said: “The BMW went off the ravine, missed everything on the way down and landed on its wheels and they walked away.”

By Sophie Bignall