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Tangled bellringer hurts shoulder Tangled bellringer hurts shoulder
(20 minutes later)
A church bellringer in Oxfordshire suffered a broken collar bone when he became tangled in the bell rope.A church bellringer in Oxfordshire suffered a broken collar bone when he became tangled in the bell rope.
Firefighters were called to St Mary's Church in Charlbury, where the man had tripped on the rope and fallen. The man was lifted up by the rope which caught on his clothing before he fell to the floor at St Mary's Church in Charlbury on Wednesday.
But because he was in a cramped tower high in the building rescuers had to use a pulley system and lower him on a stretcher through a trap door. But because he was in a cramped tower high in the building firefighters had to use a pulley system and lower him on a stretcher through a trap door.
He was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital. Police said it was a rare type of rescue. He was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital.
Incident commander Bob Swanton said: "The casualty had to be secured in a special stretcher which is first lowered vertically and then horizontally using a pulley system... Church warden and master ringer Mike Summers saw the accident.
'Off the ground'
He said: "We were having a normal practice and I was standing by him at the time.
"He was quite competent, it wasn't his fault, the rope just caught him and tripped him up lifting him off the ground and he fell heavily.
"You have to be vigilant when bellringing because accidents can happen."
Firefighters and paramedics were called as the man could not be moved for fear of further injuries.
Incident commander Bob Swanton said: "I went up to have a look and spoke to the paramedics but we could see the difficulties in getting the man down.
"We couldn't go upwards to use our aerial platform, there was no side windows so the only way was through the trap door.
"He was secured in a special stretcher which is first lowered vertically and then horizontally using a pulley system.
"It was very lucky he fitted through, as we lowered him there was only an 18 inch gap to squeeze past.
"The crews worked in cramped conditions which made access to the trap door difficult but finally they were able to lower the man to the church floor.""The crews worked in cramped conditions which made access to the trap door difficult but finally they were able to lower the man to the church floor."