Attentive passers-by played a major role in a rescue operation in Alkmaar this afternoon. A confused man had ended up in a ditch near the AZ stadium, but was rescued alive, partly thanks to the resolute actions of the witnesses.
When the occupants of a car on the Smaragdweg saw a man lying in the water, they decided to investigate. It soon became apparent that the man was in distress and the emergency services were called. Fire brigade, ambulance and police quickly arrived on the scene.
“The witnesses had already started the rescue operation,” says a spokesperson for the North Holland North Safety Region.
Under police escort
Ultimately, emergency services removed the man from the water and first aid was administered. Ultimately, the man entered the ambulance on a stretcher and was taken to the hospital under police escort.
A spokesperson said that the witnesses were ‘very valuable’ in the rescue operation.