Firefighters save girl's fingertips after accident

Quick-thinking firefighters reunited a five-year-old girl with her fingertips after an accident at a park.

Olive's fingers became stuck as she was riding a roundabout in Hockley, Essex in April, seriously injuring her hand.

A crew from Rayleigh Weir searched for her fingertips at the scene before rushing them to Southend Hospital so they could be reattached.

Olive's mother, Linda, told the BBC: "Without them, the outcome would've been so different."

Her daughter met the firefighters on Sunday and presented them with paintings to thank them for their swift action.

"If they didn't do what they did, my little girl probably wouldn't have the tops of her fingers now. They're heroes, " Linda said.

Reliving the incident, she added: "I was shocked, horrified, panicked. In the moment it was just pure horror."

Paramedics and a fire crew were called when the Westerings Primary Academy pupil was injured on 20 April.

While an ambulance took Olive to hospital, the latter began a careful search of the floor for her fingertips.

Once located, they put them in a bag of ice and drove them to the hospital on blue lights.

A surgeon at Broomfield Hospital near Chelmsford, where Olive was taken, later reattached them.

Dave Walpole, a group manager at Essex County Fire & Rescue Service, said: "Our firefighters showed great professionalism, determination and care in supporting Olive and her family.

"It's great to see how well she is recovering, and I know red watch loved welcoming her to the station."

Those involved were Dave Taylor, Dale Perry, Lee Blackwell, Ben Pullen, Katie Sharp, Tony Mills and Nicola Roe, a fire spokesman added.

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