Mother and children rescued from floodwater (From Witney Gazette)

Mother and children rescued from floodwater

2:41pm Tuesday 6th March 2007 in Witney By Tim Hughes

A MOTHER and two children were rescued from floodwater by a good samaritan on Tuesday.

Photographer Mark Hemsworth, of Chilson Hill Farm, Chilson, near Charlbury, was driving into nearby Ascott-under-Wychwood when he took this picture of a mother and two children being rescued from their silver Mercedes, stuck in the rising waters of the River Evenlode.

The water was so deep, the children and driver were only able to escape by going through their car windows, and through the windows of their rescuer's 4x4.

Mr Hemsworth said: "The woman's car was completely stuck. It must have been terrifying for her. The water came over her bonnet and killed her engine. She was in the water for about 12 minutes, before another motorist in a 4x4 drove into the flood, parked alongside, wound down his windows, and took the schoolboy, a baby in its travel seat, and then helped the woman out."

He added: "I have never seen the river that deep before and the waters are still rising."

As well as the Evenlode, the Environment Agency said there were Flood Watches on the Thames, Ock, Ray, Leach, Windrush and Cherwell.

Environment Agency spokesman, Chris Mitchell, said the flooding was the result of 'long, persistent rainfall'.