A TRACTOR driver was rescued after spending more than 10 hours stranded in floodwater in Powys.

David Jones, 64, became trapped in the water on his way to a quarry near Llandrinio to collect stone at around 7.30am on Tuesday, February 22.

His mobile phone battery was dead, leaving him stranded in the tractor on secluded lane, with the alarm only raised at 3.40pm when colleagues became concerned he hadn’t returned to the yard.

The River Severn had burst its banks in the area in the aftermath of the chaos caused by Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin.

Mr Jones, from Acton Burnell, near Shrewsbury, was hoping and waiting for rescue, with colleagues finally reporting him missing to Dyfed Powys Police. That led to emergency services springing into action with partnership working between police, the National Police Air Service (NPAS) and the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, who eventually found him marooned in his tractor.

County Times: In this dramataic shot of just how badly northern Powys was affected by the floods, David Jones and the tractor can be seen in the bottom left of the picture. Pic courtesy of NPAS In this dramataic shot of just how badly northern Powys was affected by the floods, David Jones and the tractor can be seen in the bottom left of the picture. Pic courtesy of NPAS

“I was going to the quarry to get some stone,” said Mr Jones.

“I was going through the water and it started getting deeper and deeper, so I had to stop or the water could have damaged the engine.”

Mr Jones said he was unable to call for help because his phone battery was flat so he was forced to sit it out with no idea when help would come.

“I just had to wait for someone to come looking for me,” he added.

“I didn’t turn the radio on because I was worried about the electrics. I had my lunch with me so I was okay for food.

“Everyone did an excellent job to find me, it was a big relief to see the helicopter.”

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Mr Jones was rescued thanks to great partnership working between all the emergency services involved.

Police had found a social media post of flooding that appeared to show a tractor in the distance, surrounded by flood water.

Officers then used what3words – a website that pinpoints locations – to guide the NPAS helicopter to Mr Jones.

Inspector Darren Brown said: “The tractor and trailer were located from photos and from a whats3words location.

“There had been no contact throughout the day, so we didn’t know if he was safe.

“We called in NPAS to get as close to the tractor as possible to look inside. They saw a reflective jacket and movement, so confirmed somebody was inside.”

County Times: David Jones was trapped in his tractor for around 10 hours. Pic courtesy of NPAS

The fire service were then called in with a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) to take Mr Jones to safety.

Station manager Andrew Richards, of the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Our crews worked tirelessly over the weekend and into the early part of this week in responding to the regional flooding brought about by Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin.

“Our crews were already at another flooding incident and had rescued four people from their properties in the Llandrinio area when they were called to assist the police to rescue a man in a tractor.

“Thanks to the support of the police helicopter that located the tractor within the floodwater, our Swift Water Rescue Team were then able to deploy and access the vehicle and rescue the gentleman using a boat.”