Motorists in the New Forest have been warned about the dangers of driving through floodwater after a man died when his car became submerged in a ford in north Hampshire today (Monday 30th April).
A number of less serious incidents have been reported across the forest in the wake of the recent storms, but with further heavy rain forecast for the next 24 hours the county fire and rescue service is urging drivers to play safe.
A spokesman said:
“Residents should not attempt to drive through flooded roads or fords, as the water is often deeper than it looks and may be moving quite fast.
“Vehicles can float away in just 2ft of water. If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately if safe to do so and seek higher ground. Do not travel in heavy rain storms unless absolutely necessary.”
This morning’s tragedy occurred at Headley near the Hampshire-Berkshire border, when fire crews received reports of two people and a dog trapped in a car which was submerged under 5ft of fast-flowing water.
When they arrived, a woman had already managed to swim free – but, despite a complex rescue operation, the firefighters were unable to save the man’s life.
Earlier today Lymington police tweeted: “Still lots of deep water on the roads this morning, so drive with care. If you can’t see the bottom, don’t risk it.”
