Storm Bert: Dad pulls baby son from sinking car in Todmorden

A father pulled his baby from the window of his car and carried him above his head to safety after the vehicle entered deep flood water during Storm Bert.

Andre Randles was on his way to Todmorden in West Yorkshire with his 11-month-old son Luca on Saturday when he was diverted off the main route because of a road closure.

Mr Randles said a sudden dip in Woodhouse Road meant he had no time to avoid the flood water, which immediately seeped into the car.

“As soon as I saw danger, saw the water coming into the car and we were no longer floating and starting to sink, something switched in me,” Mr Randles said.

The 22-year-old, who cannot swim, said he waded through chest-high flood water.

“I thought I needed to get out and get Luca out,” Mr Randles said.

Moments later the car was almost completely submerged in water, he added.

Mr Randles, from Hebden Bridge, said: “I was trying to get him somewhere safe as quickly as possible.”

Residents of a nearby property offered the stranded family a place to keep dry and warm while Mr Randles called recovery services.

His partner, Paige Newsome, said: “It could’ve been a completely different outcome.

“We could not be sitting here with both of them, so I’m very grateful to Andre.

“I’m very proud of him and of how fast-thinking he was.”

Mr Randles said since the incident other people had experienced similar issues on the road, with one person getting stuck in the same spot later on Saturday.

The family now hoped measures would be put in place to prevent it happening again.

Several flood warnings were issued across Yorkshire after Storm Bert brought snow and heavy rainfall to the region.

Flood sirens sounded in parts of Calderdale on Saturday, with river levels around Todmorden exceeding 2.4m (7.9ft) – 34cm (1ft) short of levels during the Boxing Day floods of 2015.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.