Recommended Posts

There’s been a lot of activity around here. Apparently a car was seen floating down the Trent at Hoveringham. I was first alerted by the sound of the air ambulance flying over so I watched it on the Flight Radar app. It was orbiting around the area. It was subsequently joined by the police spotter plane based at Doncaster which circled the area for some time. The next thing was a huge coastguard helicopter from Humberside flying over the house. It appeared to be illuminating the search area with its floodlight. There are police, fire engines and ambulances down at Hazleford. The aircraft have returned to base but I can see on Google maps there is a lot of traffic at Lock Lane on the Fiskerton Rd. I doubt it will be accessible down to the weir as it’s in full flood over the fields. There is a boom at the weir so it might have stopped the car. There’s quite a bit about it online now. All will no doubt be revealed in the morning. It doesn’t look good. The car might have been attempting to drive through the floods on the riverside at Hoveringham (the road is closed) and it got swept away.

Link to post
Share on other sites

We expect regular updates from our man on the ground Mr Phil. 
I read that a body was discovered at Stoke Bardolf yesterday, it’s all happening down on the river.
My husband decided to go down to Fiskerton early this morning for a walk, he got there ok but couldn’t follow the riverbank as he normally does due to flooding.   
 

Link to post
Share on other sites

It's all gone quiet now. It was on the local TV news. There is still traffic congestion at Hazelford Cross roads and further up at Lock Lane according to Google Maps.

 Obviously I'm not going out to get in the way. I'll go and have a look out of the landing window to if I can see any lights.

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

We have the Stupid Motorist Law in Arizona. When washes flood and go thru a road, they put barriers up.  Some folks think, I'll go round the barrier, my car can get through that wash OK. Apparently 6in of fast water will take you and your car for a ride.  Then you put the fire service personnel in danger rescuing you and you get fined.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

Quite right too Katyjay.  According to the local TV News, 6 hours later a car hasn’t been found yet, nevermind an occupant.  All those Emergency personnel putting THEIR lives at risk too. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I was reading last night when there was thee most tremendous roar. The windows rattled and my ears hurt. There was the thump thump noise a helicopter makes. I looked out but couldn’t see anything. We get the air ambulance fly over quite frequently but this was something else. Phil solved it for me as it must have been the coastguard attending Hazelford. What a noise.

Link to post
Share on other sites

There’s no further information on the local grapevine this morning but a lot of gossip about it, my wife informs me, as she’s been up the village for the newspaper. Allegedly the car was reported going into the river at Hoveringham around 4.15 pm. Looking back on Flight Radar the air ambulance from Waddington commenced a search at around 4.36pm closely followed by the police spotter plane from Doncaster at 4.40pm. The Coastguard Sikorsky S92A, from Humberside arrived at 5.10pm and the air ambulance stood down and landed in a nearby field. There’s no updates on line at the moment. 

 

Search and Rescue have launched a dinghy at Hazleford ferry.

 

The police have issued a statement asking people ‘not to speculate on the matter’. What a stupid thing to say. Typical police speak. Everybody’s speculating. I’m speculating, I have my theory. Will they come and arrest me?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I’ve had my views since last evening on this too, hope the ‘witness’ to the vehicle entering the river has been thoroughly interviewed.  It’s strange they haven’t even found a car, nevermind a body after all these hours of searching.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

It is a potentially dangerous stretch of road on the riverside at Hoveringham. There are no railings between the road and the river. A lady, last year, allegedly travelling too fast, aquaplaned and drove into the river. She was dead when they fished her out. That was at a time when the river was not in full spate as it is at the moment. We drove by last week and the river was up to the edge of the road and looked frightening. The road has been closed with signage for a few days as the river is now right over and very deep, even on the road. If anyone tried to drive through it the car would rapidly float and be pulled into the raging river. I would think, depending on the car, that it would rapidly fill with water. With electric windows there would be no escape and even if the occupants got out there would be a limited chance of survival. I would think that car and occupants would be at the bottom of the river now and could only be detected by sonar. People do silly things like driving through flood water. They are still doing it at Rufford ford and getting stuck. Look on YouTube, it’s a regular thing. Locals have been asking for safety railings at Hoveringham for a long time, such as they have at Fiskerton. Perhaps Notts CC will do something now. Maybe the call was malicious and nothing happened. Anyway they are my speculations which apparently I shouldn’t be doing!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Interestingly, looking at the lunchtime local news, the river wasn’t flooded over the road. Two people who live in what used to be the old riverside pub, witnessed a car floating by with two occupants inside yesterday afternoon and alerted the authorities. It will be interesting to find out where they entered the river. I doubt they will be alive to answer the question though. The police and fire brigade are still searching at Hazleford ferry. There is a boom with floats over the river just before the weir to stop anything going over. I’m awaiting a chat with our postman who delivers to Hazleford, the lock house and the lock cottage for more information.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Apparently the police think they have located the car under the water but can’t immediately retrieve it because of the atrocious conditions. Maybe tomorrow, in daylight, a recovery will be attempted. I don’t they can pull it up with their kit so they will probably need the assistance of a floating crane.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Last year the incident where the woman drove into the river at Hoveringham Phil refers to, I had driven along that stretch of road about an hour before. I was on my way to the Spire hospital with time to spare so it’s a pleasant drive. Following a police appeal, I submitted my dash cam footage. There was a lot of surface water but certainly not flooding.

Here’s the police statement re the current incident on the Trent.

 

“Police divers find 'object believed to be a vehicle' in search for missing car in River Trent.

Witnesses report the car had 2 people inside

Police divers have found an object in the River Trent which they believe to be a vehicle after a huge search operation was launched following reports a car with two people inside had entered the water.

Specialist police dive teams have been continuing to search the River Trent following witness reports of the car entering the water on Monday afternoon at Hoveringham (February 1).

A large-scale emergency response was undertaken, followed by further search activity on Tuesday from the Nottinghamshire Police Dive Team and the North West Regional Dive Team.

They have found an object in the water, which they believe to be a vehicle. 

But, despite several attempts, it has not yet been possible to get close enough to be able to confirm if this is the vehicle involved due to the treacherous conditions and fast flow of the river, police said.

Monday's search involved response teams and operational support officers who were joined by crews from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and East Midlands Ambulance Service.

The force aeroplane and helicopters were also used in the search.

Detectives continue to investigate the full circumstances of the incident following reports at 4.13pm on Monday that the car had left Hoveringham Road.

Inspector Heather Sutton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "While there has been no formal identification of the occupants of the vehicle we do believe we know who they are.

"Their relatives have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts are with them and they have asked for privacy at this difficult time.

"We are keeping an open mind at this stage as we continue to work hard to establish the facts of how this incident happened.

"There are not expected to be any further developments this evening. Once there is an update, we will provide one but until then, I would ask that people do not speculate on what has happened.”

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Actually that incident was in September 2019. Not last year as I said. The current one is intriguing. Why would someone drive through water when the road was closed? If it was bravado by youngsters it might be understandable but I gather they were old people.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Maybe they were confused Phil., with no idea what was happening. Could be they were frightened and just wanted to get home. As I have no idea of the facts, I'm just summising. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I remember Ben telling us about ending up in a car in a river some time ago ..... tell us again Ben!
In the early 70s, before we married my future husband lived near Banbury. One night when he’d been up to see me mid-week he was almost home, about 2 am, and drove through a ford in Cropredy, But this particular night there was a lot more water than usual.  His car stalled in the middle of it and wouldn’t start again.  He decided to recline his seat and go to sleep!  A few hours later he woke up, turned the ignition key, the car started and he was on his way.  Very lucky outcome.  He’s been more wary of water since then! 

Link to post
Share on other sites

If they had come from the Lowdham end, then it’s long way to turn back when you get as far as Hoveringham. There no turn offs so it’s back all the way so maybe they took a chance. Literally tested the waters. I know that the road through Hoveringham/Catpythorpe floods badly near the Lowdham end too. A few days age I drove towards Bleasby and the road at the end of Gypsy Lane was flooded with a road closed sign. However 2 cyclists in front of me went through and I could see it was only a few inches deep so I went through fine. Presumably the river had gone down since the sign went out.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

The last I read Lizzie was it was too risky to attempt getting to it while the river is high.

They know where it is but can't physically see it let alone get inside or recover it.

 

They had a remote mini submersible in there but couldn't see anything.

 

I'd guess the Police will keep quiet about it now until recovered.

It may also need a large crane and all that's required to get it in position

Link to post
Share on other sites

The police divers have, this morning around 10.30, recovered bodies of a man and a woman from the car in the Trent. The car is yet to be recovered. No names have been released. The bodies were taken to the far side of the river, presumably away from potential onlookers, and driven away.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...