Man dies after school run river tragedy

Emergency services were called to a single track road beside the river, leading to the Blackwell Mill cottages, just after 8.30am.

Police said at 8.31am, a man and his daughter were in a Toyota Aygo, driving along a bridle path which runs near to the Monsal Trail, north of the A6, when the car left the path and entered the River Wye.

Five minutes later, a Toyota Rav4, containing a woman and her son, left the path and also entered the river, coming to rest next to the first vehicle.

The 11-year-old girl in the Aygo managed to escape to safety. The 39-year-old Rav4 driver and her nine-year-old passenger also managed to escape from the vehicle and get to the shore.

Local residents entered the water to help rescue the 42-year-old driver from the Aygo, and he was taken to Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, but sadly later died. A police officer also entered the river to help.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and local mountain rescue volunteers were called to the scene. Land ambulances, together with the air ambulance, attended to transport all the passengers to hospital.

A fire crew and a specialist water rescue team from Buxton, attended the scene.

Station Manager Colin Winterbottom said fire crews were called to the scene just after 9am and on arrival, were told one male was trapped one of the overturned vehicles. The man was released by police and attempts were made to revive him but were unsuccessful. He added that the road condition at the time was “poor”.

He said: “On behalf of Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service our thoughts go out to the family. This was a tragic incident.”

Emergency services initially struggled to get to the scene because of the snow and icy conditions and a Derbyshire County Council team had to be called in to grit the track.

Officers remain at the scene this afternoon and an investigation has been launched.