Wildlife rescuers injured in accident
TWO volunteer wildlife rescuers were injured when a veterinary ambulance was involved in an accident on the A22.
Gazette columnist Trevor Weeks, the founder of animal charity East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS), and his rescue colleague Kathy Martyn both suffered whiplash in the crash in East Grinstead.
The pair had been coming back from the Swan Sanctuary in Middlesex, where they had dropped off an emaciated gannet found at Seaford Head.
Mr Weeks said the accident happened at 11.40pm last Monday (August 10) when a car pulled out of a junction.
He said, "Kathy was rather shaken up and shocked but she's feeling better now.
"We are both receiving treatment for whiplash effects but are just pleased that we did not have an animal on board at the time and that no-one was seriously injured."
The ambulance, one of two owned by WRAS, which has been used to rescue deer, dolphins, swans and badgers among other animals, is now off the road awaiting assessment by the insurance company.
Murrae Hume, WRAS director, said, "We have already been warned that the ambulance may be an insurance write-off.
"We will have the hassle of replacing the ambulance and getting it sign written, kitted out and wired up with equipment, which all takes time."
This incident comes as a further blow to the wildlife charity, which said it had experienced a very busy and expensive spring and summer season and has had to limit the number of incidents it could afford to attend.
WRAS volunteers have been busy fundraising to try and get the charity back on track.
As a result, it has been able to increase its workload recently but Mr Weeks said the accident will set the charity's work back again.
Mr Weeks said, "No hire company will want us bedding down a deer in the back of their van or transporting some swans loose so even with a hire van we are limited on what we can do."
Anyone wanting to make a donation to WRAS can do so via the charity's website at www.wildlifeambulance.org or post a donation to East Sussex WRAS, PO Box 2148, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 9DE.
• Click HERE to read Trevor Weeks' column
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Bexhill-on-Sea
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 15 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
