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A 67-year-old Shropshire man was trapped under his caravan for more than an hour after it ran loose in his own driveway.

Phil Buswell escaped with only minor cuts and bruises despite being pinned to the ground by the Bessacarr Cameo at around 1pm yesterday.

The incident happened minutes after the retired former Severn Trent employee had returned home from holiday with his wife, Jean.

The Midlands Air Ambulance was called to the scene, near Shrewsbury, along with two fire appliances from Much Wenlock and Tweedale and an ambulance.

Airbags were used to lift the caravan and free Mr Buswell, who was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital as a precautionary measure.

Mrs Buswell said her husband stayed in hospital last night. She said: “He has been very lucky to escape with minor injuries.”

Distressed

Neighbour, Don Hall, said: “I found Jean in a terrible state. She was very frantic and distressed, and all she could do was point at Don.

“She had her phone and had been trying to contact lots of people. She had also alerted the emergency services.

“I saw Phil under the caravan and it was covering most of his body. At that stage you think the worst, but he was still able to talk and he was asking us whether we should try and prop up the van ourselves.

“He had been trying to push it onto his sloped driveway where they park it, but it ran loose and went straight over him.

“It didn’t stop until it hit the verge on the other side and it was stuck in the middle of the road. The local GP from the village also happened to be driving by and she stopped to help. When the emergency services came they said he was an extremely lucky man.”

Rob Corfield, incident commander for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, who attended the scene, said: “The man was attempting to move the caravan and it was on a slopped driveway. It looks like it rolled forward trapping his whole body underneath.

“We were called by the ambulance service and our crews used airbags to lift the caravan off him so ambulance staff could work on him.”

Keeping it attached to the car is the safest way.

Jim

Motor movers also act as a brake when locked on.

Phil

Quote: Originally posted by cwdc56768 on 30/6/2010

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Motor movers also act as a brake when locked on.

 

Phil

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Motor movers also act as a brake when locked on. Phil

But not when they fail! Rune Caster.

I reckon the number of accidents that happen when caravans run away, by far outnumber the accidents caused by failing motor movers.

In hindsight I am sure that this couple will be investing in a motor mover now. A small price to pay to stop such an accident hapening again.

Those of us who have and use motor movers would never be without one.

Quote: Originally posted by LobeyDosser on 30/6/2010

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Motor movers also act as a brake when locked on. Phil

But not when they fail! Rune Caster. <!-- Signature -->

I reckon the number of accidents that happen when caravans run away, by far outnumber the accidents caused by failing motor movers.

In hindsight I am sure that this couple will be investing in a motor mover now. A small price to pay to stop such an accident hapening again.

Those of us who have and use motor movers would never be without one.

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Very lucky indeed.

Cheers  Ratty

it actually says that he was pushing it

either way am just glad that he is ok

Yes, the main thing is that he has survived the experience.

My caravan stays attached to the car until it has finished moving.  I find it the safest way.

Jim

Quote: Originally posted by Greendemon315 on 01/7/2010

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Yes, the main thing is that he has survived the experience.

My caravan stays attached to the car until it has finished moving.  I find it the safest way.

Jim

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It is not always possible to do this, either on the campsite or at home.

Those that can are lucky. Those that cannot have to find the safest way for both the health of the owner and his pride and joy. (his van, not his missus ).

Agreed, whatever works for you.

I've never found a campsite where I couldn't just reverse on to the pitch, or even pull on forward in some cases (all CLs and places like North Ledaig)

I wouldn't have the caravan at home.  It's such a giveaway when you're on holiday.  Mine's in storage, and nobody knows when I'm away.

Not much point in a motor mover for me.  I can't see the attraction really.

Jim

We had our last caravan (no mover on that) at a site near Oban I think and the pitches were so tight that the warden insisted on attaching his tractor that had a towball at the front end, to park all the vans.

After it was parked, I had to fight my way through the hedges to connect up my EHU.

I store my van in my workshop and I can park it out of the way with the movers that I could not do on my own with a car or manually.

I suppose like most things, we never miss what we never had, but once we have used them we would not be without them.  

I don't think I would have liked to be on that site.  We tend to use CLs mostly, we like it quiet.

Like I said, if the mover works for you, no problem.  I am sure if I had one, I would use it, probably riding across the field in the caravan.  Buying one is a different matter, and I see the price of a mover in terms of a great many bargain buckets of KFC.

Weight of course is also an issue.  You have extra weight on your caravan.  I have extra weight on me from the buckets of KFC.

You can't win.

Jim