Elderly Couple Rescued After Car Plunges Into Stream in Belgium
An elderly couple had a lucky escape on Sunday morning after their car left the road and plunged several meters down into a stream in Meulebeke, West Flanders.
The accident happened at around 10 a.m. as the couple were driving along Steenstraat toward the town center in their Citroën C1.
For reasons that are still unknown, the car left the road, crossed a parking area near the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-van-Bijstand chapel and went over a concrete barrier before landing nose-first in the Devebeek stream.
Runner Spots the Car in the Water
Fortunately, a runner witnessed the accident and alerted the emergency services.
Fire officer Lieven Braekevelt said the couple were lucky someone saw what happened. The stream is so deep that the car might not have been noticed from the road, or could have remained there for much longer.
He also pointed out that the accident could have ended very differently if it had happened a week earlier, when the water level in the Devebeek was much higher.
Firefighters Rescue the Elderly Couple
Firefighters arrived at the scene and considered several ways to get the couple out of the vehicle and up the steep bank.
They discussed using a ladder, carrying the passengers out on special rescue stretchers or using a ladder truck. Another option was to lift the car out of the stream with the couple still inside.
In the end, the simplest plan worked. Firefighters helped the man and woman out of the car and used a ladder to guide them safely up the bank.
Braekevelt praised the couple for staying remarkably calm throughout the rescue. Despite their age and the difficult situation, both managed to climb the ladder without problems.
Couple Suffered Mild Hypothermia
The couple escaped without serious injuries but suffered mild hypothermia after getting wet in the cold water.
Ambulance staff treated them at the scene. Their daughter also arrived to support them, and the couple were later taken home in an ambulance.
Firefighters Raise Safety Concerns
The accident reminded firefighters of a similar incident in the area several years ago, when another driver ended up in a stream.
Fire officer Braekevelt suggested that additional safety measures may be needed to prevent similar accidents. He said installing a guardrail could help stop vehicles from leaving the road and falling into the water.
For the elderly couple, the incident ended with a frightening experience rather than a tragedy, thanks to a passing runner and the quick response of emergency services.
