A brave farmer saved his grandparents from rising floodwaters in Lincolnshire, using his digger to bring them to safety
Billingborough: So, there’s this amazing story about a farmer named Ryan Wesley who saved his grandparents from a flood. He used his digger to get them out of their home, which was surrounded by water.
Ryan, who’s 31, told his grandparents, both in their 80s, to hop into the digger’s bucket after he helped them escape through a bedroom window. His dad, Dean, 56, was right there with him, and they even rescued a pregnant woman too!
This all happened on a Monday when the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum declared a major incident. The streets were totally submerged, and many homes were flooded. When Ryan found out his grandparents were in trouble, he jumped into action.
He drove his digger through the floodwater to reach them. Ryan said the water was rising fast, and they had to act quickly. Once they got to the bungalow, the water was already flowing through the doors!
His granddad, Haydn, who’s 87, felt pretty calm during the whole thing because he had Ryan and Dean with him. He said everything went smoothly, which is pretty impressive given the circumstances.
After getting his grandparents to safety, Ryan wanted to help others too. But the water got so deep that he couldn’t use the digger anymore. He described one trip where the water was over the front wheels, and it was a bit scary!
According to the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum, at least 88 properties were flooded. They’re also worried about freezing temperatures coming up. The police are urging people to pay attention to road closures to avoid any more trouble.
