Ambulance Worker Commended for Bridge Rescue

An emergency services professional has received an award for rescuing a girl who was positioned on the outer side of the railings of a bridge spanning a significant roadway. Earlier this year, Emergency Medical Technician Ian Willgress, representing the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST), responded to an incident on the A47 at Longwater in Norwich, Norfolk, alongside his colleague, mental health nurse Dawn Dee. Mr. Willgress was presented with a certificate of commendation for intervening and securing the 15-year-old girl, who displayed indications that she “felt she had nothing to live for”. “This incident was just another day on the job for me… crews every week make selfless decisions to do more,” Mr. Willgress stated. He elaborated, “Police were on the scene and we were briefed that there was a 15-year-old girl on a six-inch ledge the wrong side of the railings on a bridge 40-feet above the A47.” He added, “Dawn and I agreed the only chance we had was to try and talk her back over the barrier.” Upon their approach, the girl did not engage in communication with them, Mr. Willgress reported. He recounted, “We discussed the risk of grabbing the girl with police on the scene, but I decided that if I believed she was going to fall or jump, I would grab her. “I grabbed her. The police helped me bring her to the other side of the rail and she was taken to hospital for further help,” he concluded. Mr. Willgress, who possesses 34 years of experience within the NHS, previously worked in secure psychiatric units prior to commencing his role with EEAST in 2007. Additionally, he dedicated 25 years to serving as an Army medic reservist. His nomination for the award originated from leading operations manager Gary Ball, who asserted that Mr. Willgress had “totally disregarded his own safety to save a life”. Mr. Ball further commented, “Ian took the instantaneous decision to place hands on the patient, firmly making contact and pulling her to the correct side of the bridge and safety.” He added, “He is the epitome of selfless courage and I have the utmost respect and admiration for his actions.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding the BBC’s approach to external linking is available.