Monday 8 August 2022 11:10 AM More severely obese people than ever are being rescued by FIREFIGHTERS trends now
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More severely obese people than ever are having to be rescued by firefighters because they have become unable to physically move by themselves, according to new Home Office figures.
The fire service are being called in to free the growing number of severely overweight people who are becoming trapped in their homes due to their size.
Firefighters across the country were called out to a record 1,614 rescues in 2020 - some 24 per cent more than the 1,326 the year before. When records began, there were just 429 rescues of what are known as 'bariatric assists'.
Many are having to be rescued with lifting equipment, special slings and even through the removal of windows, walls and banisters.
Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, believes these figures 'will continue to rise for many years to come'.
'Even when the government's latest plans to tackle obesity have been finally implemented, there will still be hundreds requiring rescue teams to get them out of their homes and into hospital for treatment,' he said.
'Thirty years of political indifference are responsible for this desperate situation.'
The number of severely obese people needing to be rescued is at an all-time high. (File image)
Many are having to be rescued by the removal of banisters, windows and walls or with the help of lifting equipment and special slings. (File image)
The rescue missions have hit new heights with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service recording a record 29 bariatric assists, doubling the 15 call-outs that occurred before the pandemic in 2019.
Seven of the rescues required between ten and 19 firefighters - with officers occupied for up to two
