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High Askew bridge collapse plunges men into river | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Two men were plunged into a river when a pedestrian footbridge over the water collapsed in North Yorkshire. | |
A 65-year-old was flown by the Great North Air Ambulance to hospital in Middlesbrough with head injuries and a suspected broken arm. | |
The other, 50, was driven to hospital with hypothermia and head injuries. | |
Emergency crews were called at 15:00 GMT after the men, part of a shooting party, were seen in the River Seven in High Askew, near Cropton village. | |
'Covered in bandages' | |
A Great North Air Ambulance spokesman said the man airlifted to James Cook University Hospital was from the York area. | |
The younger man was taken to Scarborough hospital. | |
The bridge involved was described as a small aluminium construction box frame structure, which is about 5m (16ft) long. | |
BBC News correspondent Danny Savage reported seeing one patient being taken from the scene, "conscious and sitting upright but covered in bandages". | BBC News correspondent Danny Savage reported seeing one patient being taken from the scene, "conscious and sitting upright but covered in bandages". |
He said the men on the bridge were members of a shooting party. | |
They were crossing the bridge on private land when it collapsed, sending them into the river. | |
An eyewitness described both as "walking wounded". | An eyewitness described both as "walking wounded". |
'Totally collapsed' | |
By 16:50 the search of the area had been stopped and only one police car remained at the scene. | |
The air ambulance spokesman said the 65-year-old was thought to have lost consciousness following the fall, though he came round on his way to hospital. | |
The spokesman said: "The metal footbridge had totally collapsed into the river. | |
"By the time we got there, both men had been retrieved from the water." | |
A Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and a clinical supervisor from Yorkshire Ambulance Service and two air ambulances from Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Great North Air Ambulance were dispatched to the scene." |