Treherbert neighbours dig out ambulance stuck in snow

About 30 neighbours helped to dig an ambulance out of the snow when it became stuck on their street.

Photos were shared on social media of Ninian Street residents in Treherbert, Rhondda Cynon Taf, using snow shovels, sledges and quad bikes on Saturday to help paramedics get to a care home.

Kelly Evans, 38, who lives on the street, said it was typical of her "lovely neighbours" to help out.

Welsh Ambulance chief executive Jason Killens thanked them for their help.

Ms Evans, who has lived in the street for 15 years, said: "At the beginning of the first lockdown we created the Facebook Messenger group for the street so we could just keep in contact if anybody needed anything and things like that.

"So just before 10 o'clock one of the neighbours Chloe put on the group there was an ambulance stuck at the bottom of the street trying to get up to the care home - 'can we just all have hands on deck and bring shovels?'.

"So within a couple of minutes most of the men in the street came out with their wellies and their shovels and shovelled a clear path."

She said they used children's sledges to carry grit from the top to the bottom of the street where the ambulance was stranded.

"A couple of local boys on quads came over, love them, and they were ferrying the paramedics up and down this hill - the paramedics were on the back of the quad with all the equipment they needed," she said.

"There were about 30 people and children - my son is 14 and he was out there with a shovel, a young boy barely 16 had a shovel."

Ms Evans said she was not surprised by the response: "I love where I live anyway - even if I won the lottery I don't think I'd move.

"It was lovely, our neighbours are fantastic, it's a lovely street - during lockdown we all kept each other motivated."

Another resident, Bethan Hewitt, posted on Facebook: "All in all this is the Rhondda at its finest - love where I live."

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics had been on their way to an emergency at about 09:30 GMT in two ambulances when one got stuck.

"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," she added.

Mr Killens tweeted: "Thank you to local residents helping our people help you."