Sleeping man rescued from rail bridge ledge

Fire and rescue crews had to use climbing ropes to rescue a man who had gone to sleep on a ledge about 60ft above a railway line in Outwood, Wakefield.

By The Newsroom

Published 24th Sep 2013, 09:08 BST

Fire crews from Wakefield received reports from British Transport Police at about 1.30am today of a man unconscious underneath a bridge on Potovens Lane.

Green Watch commander Mick Ferris said: “The man was spotted on a ledge about 60ft above the railtrack but under the road. The ledge formed part of the foundations of the bridge and British Transport Police were unable to rouse the man.

“We therefore called in a specialist rescue unit from Cleckheaton to help with the line rescue. It was a bit tricky because it was difficult to find anchor points but we eventually got to the man, who was asleep.”

He added they then lifted the man to safety, after which he was arrested by police. It is not know how the man got onto the ledge in the first place.