Girl plummets into working quarry

A specialist fire crew and paramedics have rescued a young girl who feel more than 60 feet into a quarry in the Black Country.

The rope rescue team, based at West Bromwich, were called to the quarry, on the Portway Road, in Rowley Regis, just before 1530 BST on Tuesday,

The girl, who is thought to be aged about 13, fell onto a ledge.

She suffered a broken leg and arm and was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital by air ambulance.

It was a case of using gentle brute force, they had to walk through some difficult terrain Assistant divisional fire officer Bob Deeks

Assistant divisional fire officer Bob Deeks, from West Midlands Fire Service, said members of the rescue team had been lowered into the quarry with a paramedic and stretcher.

He told BBC News Online: "Once the girl was stabilised, they were then lowered to the ground.

"The crew and the paramedic then manually carried the stretcher out of the quarry. It was a case of using gentle brute force, they had to walk through some difficult terrain."

Mr Deeks said initially three children had been involved, but two had managed to climb their way out of the quarry.