Storm Christoph: Pensioners rescued by boat as retirement village hit by flooding and power cut
Dozens of elderly residents at a retirement village in Cheshire were evacuated by emergency services in a dramatic mission on Thursday afternoon, after Storm Christoph flooded their homes and left them stranded without electricity and heating.
The group of 45 pensioners from Weaver Court, some of them in their mid-nineties, wore face masks and attempted to adhere to social distancing rules as they climbed aboard a rescue boat being crewed by firefighters.
After being dragged through Northwich town centre, which was underwater and completely impassable by car, the residents walked onto an inflatable jetty and into care at Brio leisure centre, where they were given hot drinks and refreshments.
Some pensioners were also evacuated from Marbury Court, another retirement village nearby, although this was as a precaution.
On Thursday evening, the local council said they had secured them accommodation at two nearby hotels where they are able to socially distance in their own rooms.
It is not known if any of the residents have received a coronavirus vaccine or were supposed to be self isolating.
Mike Amesbury, the MP for Weaver Vale told the Telegraph that it was a “drastic situation” with residents who were “anxious, elderly and frail and felt somewhat stranded”.
"I have spoken to family members who were really concerned that their loved ones have had no electricity, so no heating since Wednesday night,” he said.
He added that he was not aware of anyone suffering from any medical complications.
But concerns have been raised about the lack of communication with families. Hours after the rescue operation, Gillian Worden wrote on Twitter: “We are trying to locate a family member who was evacuated and they don't have their mobile phone with them.”
The Telegraph also spoke to a woman whose 96-year-old mother was living in Weaver Court and still hadn’t managed to phone her loved ones.
A spokesperson from the development’s management company, First Port, said: “The safety of our residents is our utmost priority.
"As the development currently has no electricity, we have worked with the Council to safely evacuate residents to a nearby hotel today. We will do all we can to support our residents, and to get the development habitable as quickly as possible.”
