Farmer on quad bike ‘swallowed’ by sinkhole

Sinkhole measured 60ft deep and 8ft wide at its opening

Rescuers from the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, and other agencies, work to pull the farmer up after he fell into a 60ft sinkhole with his quad bike (Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service)

A farmer has been rescued after he was “swallowed up” by a 60ft (18m) sinkhole that opened up as he rode across a field in south Cumbria.

The man was riding a quad bike across the field at Bowesfield Farm in Stank when the ground gave way on Thursday.

Crews from the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service responded to the incident at around 12pm and were able to pull him to safety. They were supported by Cumbria Police, Great North Air Ambulance Service and North West Ambulance Service.

The farmer was flown to hospital and is receiving treatment for chest injuries.

Ian Westall, from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The ground just fell with the weight of the bike on that particular spot and he was swallowed up into the sinkhole.

“We peered down and could see the farmer sat up, and we could just make out the outline of his bike under a mound of earth. I’m sure he was in deep shock.”

The sinkhole was about 8ft (2m) wide at the opening but the cavity was shaped “like a wine carafe”, being wider at the bottom, which made the situation riskier for rescuers, he told the BBC.

“You’ve got a lip at the top which went down into a narrow throat, and then there was a large bulbous bottom which opened up 10m (33ft) in one direction and 4m (13ft) in the other.

“Obviously with unstable ground and people on the surface unsighted, there was an inherent risk,” added Mr Westall.

“We had to make sure the rescuers weren’t going to be involved in any further movement or collapse of the ground, so we widened the cordon area and had only those directly involved in the rescue at the scene.”