November 30, 2010 2.58 pm This story is over 160 months old

Stranded students saved from snow hell

Stranded: Students at Lincoln College were rescued from a show jam as they were stranded in Horncastle.

A group of students at Lincoln College were rescued from a show jam on the night of November 29 by the county council and local volunteers.

The students were travelling to their Skegness home after college in Lincoln, when their Stagecoach service abruptly terminated at Horncastle.

The students were left stranded in the town, having to face the treacherous weather conditions with freezing temperatures worsening.

The group had to contact the Lincolnshire County Council transport services, which then came to the rescue of the students.

“The first thing we did was arrange for the students to wait in the nearby Admiral Rodney Hotel, who kindly agreed to help so they could be safe and warm,” said Jinny Niven, transport manager at the county council.

“We then contacted our emergency planning team for their help. They organised for volunteers from the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire 4×4 group to come out and take the students home,” Niven added.

The Yorkshire and Lincolnshire 4×4 group are volunteers who work with the emergency services, including in this kind of extreme weather.

“This was a great joint response, and we’re grateful for the community support we had in making sure these students were safe and warm in these unprecedented conditions,” said Louise Robinson, senior emergency planning officer.

“Public transport will inevitably be disrupted during this weather, and simple preparations such as having your mobile phone charged up and warm clothes can make a big difference,” Robinson added.

Source: Lincolnshire County Council