Mum’s horror as trapped baby pulled from sinking car while floodwater gushes in – as Storm Bert heads into second day
A MUM watched in horror as her 11-month-old baby became trapped inside a car sinking in floodwater.
Storm Bert nearly claimed another life at is wreaked havoc across the UK yesterday with 82mph winds, heavy snow and flooding.
Hero dad, Andre Randles, had to rescue his baby son when his Volkswagen hatchback was completely submerged in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.
The tot's terrified mum, Paige Newsome, wrote on social media: "[It was] such a scary experience for Andre having to pull himself and our 11-month-old baby out of the car windows, whilst the water was flooding into the car."
She also slammed the council as the road has reportedly been a danger area for years whenever there is heavy rain.
"Calderdale Council need to sort this out ASAP! They have been getting notified about this part of Woodhouse Road multiple times by the owners of the house next to where our car is parked," she fumed.
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The traumatised couple found themselves in difficulty when Andre drove into the water thinking it was shallow.
They suddenly discovered a concealed dip in the road that pulled their car under, sparking a race against time to scramble out.
Shocking photographs revealed floodwater reaching the vehicle's roof as it sank.
After pulling his baby out of a window, the builder and his girlfriend were taken in by a local resident who helped keep them save from Storm Bert.
But the nightmare still haunts Paige, and she added: "You never know what could have happened.
"Just imagine if my partner didn’t think fast enough to get the windows open to climb out and then get my son out. I dread to think."
WEATHER WARNINGS
THESE are the latest up-to-date Met Office weather warnings
Yellow weather warnings
Yellow weather warning for wind in place from 5am until 7pm Saturday, stretching from the north east of Scotland all the way down to the east Midlands.
A second yellow weather warning from 5am until 7pm Saturday covering much of Scotland, the Midlands, reaching down as far as Birmingham and northern parts of Wales.
In Northern Ireland a yellow weather warning for rain and snow came into force at midnight and lasts until 11am.
The same alert for rain and snow is in place from 4am until 9am this morning over Scotland, and stretches down to Manchester.
A yellow weather warning for rain is affecting Wales from 6am until 6am tomorrow.
Another rain alert covers the south west coast line from 6am until 11.45pm tomorrow.
A yellow wind warning is also in place along much of the south coast from 9am until 9pm tomorrow.
Amber weather warnings
An amber warning for snow and ice is in force from 7am until 5pm tonight covering areas just north of Dundee, Perth and Stirling in Scotland.
There's a second amber warning for snow in place from 7am until 12pm that affects southern Scotland and the Midlands.
A flood warning, and siren, had been issued in Todmorden, on Saturday.
Floodgates were also opened to help manage river levels.
Calderdale Council said yesterday: "Please drive carefully as there is still surface water and debris on many roads.
"Only make essential journeys. Stay safe."
Labour MP for Calder Valley Josh Fenton-Glynn said the flooding was sparked by snow melting and heavy rain.
He said: "We are at the frontline of climate shocks here in Calder Valley.
"Rest assured I will continue to raise the issues we face with flooding at the highest levels of government."
Calderdale Council was contacted for comment.
It comes after Storm Bert tragically claimed its first life yesterday after a tree fell on a car.
A man in his 60s died in Hampshire just before 8.00am after the horror.
He was driving a black Mercedes E350 on the A34 southbound carriageway, between Kings Worthy and Winnall.
Paramedics tragically pronounced him dead at the scene, and his family have been informed.
Elsewhere, in Wales, five children and five adults had to be rescued from a landslide yesterday as 82mph gusts and flash floods battered the UK.
All ten people were rescued from the house in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, near Llangollen in North Wales.
A North Wales Fire and Rescue Services spokesman said they are all being assessed by ambulance services away from the scene "somewhere warm".
A further landslide has been reported in the area but it is understood no one else was affected.
Have you been affected by Storm Bert? Email summer.raemason@the-sun.co.uk
It comes as Brits were warned to stock up on food and water as "multi-hazard event" Storm Bert saw trains axed, ferries cancelled and roads closed.
Families in Belfast were "trapped inside" their homes yesterday as firefighters pumped out flood water, as reported by the BBC.
"The mother of one man I spoke to this morning said her son had woken up and went down to see around two to three feet of water in his home this morning,” a reporter at the scene said.
“The fridge was floating around the kitchen."
In West Yorkshire, a 34-year-old man from Bradford was killed after a car collided with a wall in Shipley.
However, officers are continuing to investigate the cause and it is understood the road was not icy at the time of the incident.
The Met Office issued seven yellow and two amber weather warnings yesterday as the UK braced for 70mph winds, heavy snow, rain and flooding.
British Gas also warned it was advisable to stock up on food and water as Storm Bert comes into full force.
The company urged: “It’s a good habit to have at least three days’ worth of food and essentials stored in an easy-to-reach part of your home.
"That’s things like medicines, drinking water, non-perishable food and snacks and extra blankets.”
“You should also keep a torch, batteries and a phone charger close by too," they added.
On Saturday, "blizzards" hit the UK, forcing train companies to scrap services, several major road closures, airport disruption and ferry cancellations.
Storm Bert sparked travel chaos at several major UK airports yesterday including Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, and Heathrow.
Passengers at Newcastle reported operations coming to a stand still as staff deal with snowfall.
Rail operators also cancelled services on some routes all day on Saturday and urged passengers to check their routes before making journeys.
And on the roads, the M48 Severn Bridge was closed in both directions due to current wind speeds, National Highways announced.
Ferry operator CalMac, which serves the west coast of Scotland, axed several services on Saturday in anticipation of travel chaos.
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Meanwhile P&O Ferries confirmed the 4am sailing between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in Scotland was also scrapped.
Amid the chaos people have also been urged to "stay well clear" of power lines.
Areas affected by Met Office weather warnings
Friday
Yellow warning - snow & ice (up to midday)
Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
Orkney & Shetland
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
Yellow warning - snow & ice (up to 10am)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Dundee
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Northamptonshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Rutland
East of England
- Bedford
- Cambridgeshire
- Central Bedfordshire
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Luton
- Norfolk
- Peterborough
- Suffolk
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
Highlands & Eilean
- Siar Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
London & South East England
- Buckinghamshire
- Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire
- North East England
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
North West England
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Blackpool
- Cheshire East
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Cumbria
- Greater Manchester
- Halton
- Lancashire
- Merseyside
- Warrington
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
Wales
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Gwynedd
- Isle of Anglesey
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Wrexham
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Telford and Wrekin
- Warwickshire
West Midlands
- Conurbation
- Worcestershire
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
Yellow warning - snow & ice (up to 10am)
- Northern Ireland
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Yellow warning - ice (up to 10am)
London & South East England
- Hampshire
- Isle of Wight
- Portsmouth
- Southampton
- West Sussex
South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- North Somerset
- Plymouth
- Somerset
- Torbay
- Wiltshire
Saturday
Yellow warning - wind (5am-7pm)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
North East England
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Sunderland
North West England
- Cumbria
Northern Ireland
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute East
- Ayrshire East
- Renfrewshire
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
Wales
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Gwynedd
- Isle of Anglesey
- Pembrokeshire
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
Amber warning - snow & ice (7am-5pm)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
- Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
- Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
Yellow warning - rain & snow (4am-9am)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
North East England
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
North West England
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Cheshire East
- Cumbria
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway East
- Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
- Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute East
- Ayrshire East
- Dunbartonshire East
- Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
West Midlands
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
- York
Yellow warning - rain and snow (midnight-11am)
Northern Ireland
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Yellow warning - rain (6am-6am Sunday)
Wales
- Blaenau
- Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Gwynedd
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath
- Port Talbot
- Newport
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda
- Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
Yellow warning - rain (6am-11.45pm)
London & South East England
- Hampshire
- Oxfordshire
- Portsmouth
- Southampton
- West Berkshire
- South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bournemouth
- Christchurch and Poole
- Bristol
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Plymouth
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Swindon
- Torbay
- Wiltshire
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
Sunday
Yellow warning - rain & snow (4am Saturday-9am Sunday)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
North East England
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
North West England
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Cheshire East
- Cumbria
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
- Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
West Midlands
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire York
Yellow warning - rain (6am Saturday to 6am Sunday)
Wales
- Blaenau
- Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Gwynedd
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath
- Port Talbot
- Newport
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda
- Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire