Girl left red-faced in swing rescue
A 10-year-old girl got stuck in a baby swing at a park just days after the new play equipment was installed.
The girl got trapped in the swing after her legs slipped through the holes while she stood in it – and despite trying to escape for an hour eventually firefighters had to be called.
The girl escaped uninjured but "embarrassed" and an ambulance was cancelled before it got to the scene.
But it was bad news for the baby swing, which had reportedly been paid for by residents on the Shire Estate at Spring Gardens, as it was destroyed during the rescue.
It is understood the girl had been standing on the baby swing at the park off Poplar Close when she slipped and her thighs became wedged in the seat.
Cutting
She fought to get free herself, but after an hour of trying the fire brigade was called.
The schoolgirl had been given a chair to stand on to take the weight off the top of her legs.
Crews used small gear to take the swing apart before lying the girl on the ground and cutting through the plastic and metal trapped around her.
She remained calm and once free was checked over by fire crews who agreed she did not need medical treatment and called off an ambulance.
Martin Huckle, watch manager for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We got a call at about 11.30am saying that a 10-year-old girl was stuck in a baby swing on a park off Poplar Close.
"My understanding was that she had been standing in one of the ones that they put their legs through either side and it goes around the middle," he said.
"The girl was standing in it, but then her legs had slipped though the holes.
"She was trapped down to the top of her thighs with her legs wedged in the small holes.
"She had been there for about an hour which is why they called us.
"She was quite calm, her mother was there and they had got her a chair to stand on to take the weight off her legs.
"We took the swing apart with a box of small tools, but her leg was stuck quite tight on the one side so we had to lay her on the ground and cut the swing away with a hacksaw.
"We initially called for an ambulance but when she was released we checked her over and the circulation in her legs seemed okay so we stood it down.
"She wasn't injured.
"She was probably more embarrassed than anything else.
"The lesson learned is not to stand on swings which aren't designed for you," he added.
