Man breaks legs in fall at reservoir

A 35-YEAR-OLD man suffered leg fractures and a punctured lung after falling 40ft on to rocks at Dovestone Reservoir on Saturday.

The man, believed to be from Newton Heath, jumped off a ledge directly opposite the sailing club but hit the rocks before rolling into shallow water at the edge of the reservoir.

Fire crews from Oldham and Mossley, as well as the water incident unit from Heywood, were called to the reservoir at 3.45pm to help paramedics at the scene.

A rescue boat transported them across the water where they helped strap the man on to a spinal board.

He suffered multiple fractures to his left leg, a suspected broken right leg and punctured his right lung, and was transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital by the North-West Air Ambulance for treatment.

Watch Commander Graham Singleton, from Red Watch at Mossley Station, said: “People need to be aware that swimming or jumping into a resrvoir when you don’t know what is below the water should be avoided at all costs.”