Window rescue for heart patient

AN Ipswich man has today praised emergency services for saving his wife's life after she suffered heart problems and had to be dramatically rescued through a first-floor window.

The emergency unfolded at Joseph Hooper's Hadleigh Road home when his wife Haycinth, 67, became ill in her bedroom.

Paramedics were first on the scene but had to call for help from the Suffolk Fire Service as Mrs Hooper's condition was so serious she had to be kept in a horizontal position and could not be taken down stairs.

Firefighters removed the bedroom window and carried Mrs Hooper to a waiting ambulance via a turntable ladder.

Mr Hooper, 75, said the action of the emergency services saved his wife's life.

He said: “I nearly lost her but they saved her life, they were marvellous.

“It was very dramatic and I was in a real panic.

“If they had brought her down the stairs they feared she would have died.”

Dave Pedersen, assistant divisional officer at the Suffolk Fire Service, said it was extremely rare for firefighters to be called on for this kind of situation.

He said: “The crews did very well as they had to do it under very tight conditions.

“They had to take the whole window out of the wall before helping paramedics to move her onto the turntable platform to take her down to the ambulance.”

Around 10 firefighters were at the scene alongside paramedics on Saturday, at 7.40pm.

Mrs Hooper was taken to Ipswich Hospital. She was taken out of intensive care yesterday and is currently in a stable condition.

Do you want to thank somebody for saving your life? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

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