An off-duty firefighter travelling behind a Somerset school coach which overturned was able to save the lives of children by immediately starting to free them minutes after the collision, it emerged yesterday evening.
The horrific crash happened around 3pm on Thursday on the A396 near Wheddon Cross.
The 70-seater bus was carrying pupils from Minehead Middle School, believed to be aged nine and ten, following an end-of-term trip to Exmoor Zoo.
Emergency services rushed to the remote rural location, where one child was pronounced dead at the scene, while 21 others were taken to hospital with various injuries.
During a press conference yesterday evening, it emerged that an off-duty firefighter who was travelling behind the coach was able to start freeing passengers immediately.
He praised by Gavin Ellis of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service at the press conference who said: ‘I’m grateful to the off-duty firefighter who was travelling behind the coach at the point of the collision who was able to start taking immediate [action] to start releasing those casualties from the bus.’
Chief Superintendent Mark Edgington of Avon and Somerset Police confirmed the fatality: ‘We can confirm tonight that one child has sadly died.
‘A formal identification process will need to be carried out, but our thoughts and sympathies are with their family, who we are in contact with.
‘A specially-trained officer will be providing them with support.’
Minehead Middle School had listed the zoo visit on its website as part of its ‘Enrichment Week’ activities for Year Five pupils.
One child has died after a bus bringing school students back from an end-of-term trip overturned and fell 20ft down a steep embankment (photo from the scene)
Emergency services first received reports that a bus had left the A396 Cutcombe Hill between Wheddon Cross and Timberscombe at around 3pm on Thursday
Emergency services, including five helicopters, rushed to the scene on the A396 in Somerset to free passengers who had become trapped inside the bus
Floral tributes laid at Minehead Middle School in Minehead Somerset this morning
Flowers were left outside the school after a child died and several people were serious injuried after the coach overturned
Floral tributes were being left outside Minehead Middle School on Friday morning.
Staff and students from the nearby Kingsmead School in Wiveliscombe had left a condolence card with a bunch of flowers.
The card said: ‘Our thoughts are with all the children, parents, staff and transport.’
Minehead Middle School, which caters for pupils aged between nine and 14, and is five days away from the end of term, remained closed on Friday.
One local was in tears when she came to drop a bouquet of flowers.
She said: ‘I’m still in shock. I had a child in this school she’s 18 now.
‘We are a tight knit community around here. It affects the whole community around here. I’ve just been down to Tesco and everyone is red eyed.
‘Everyone I talk to bursts into tears.
‘The children were year 5s. I know people with children in the school.
‘My friend’s niece was involved she’s ok but she had to get stitches in her leg.
‘You feel so helpless there’s nothing you can do.’
One of the school’s teachers posted on Facebook: ‘My amazing students, I couldn’t be prouder of all of you, how incredibly brave you have been.
‘You have looked after each in what was a life-changing event, we will get through this together.
‘I feel so lucky to be your teacher. I am so grateful to my wonderful colleagues during this time who were also fighting to help as many people as we could.
‘My deepest condolences to all parents, carers, family and friends involved.
Several people have been rushed to hospital after a bus that was carrying school students back from a day trip came off the road in a horrific crash. Picture from the scene
‘Finally, thank you to the emergency services who have saved many lives and to the brilliant public who went out of their way to look after myself and most importantly the wonderful students of Minehead Middle School.’
The driver of a school coach which crashed near Minehead, Somerset, is in a stable condition, the bus company’s owner has said.
Ridlers Coaches director Peter Prior-Sankey said in a statement: ‘Everyone at Ridlers is truly devastated by yesterday’s tragic incident and our thoughts and prayers remain with the pupils, their families, and the school.
‘Our thanks go to the incredible emergency service teams for their response, and to those across our local hospitals and community who have done so much for those impacted over the last 24 hours.
‘I can confirm that the driver is himself in a stable condition in hospital, but with a number of injuries. We are in contact with his wife and family, and have offered ongoing support.’
He added that staff at the company are being supported and he and his team are liaising with Somerset Council.
Mr Prior-Sankey said a decision had been made not to run any school routes into Minehead today, and that ongoing discussions will be had over the coming days concerning any other affected routes or contracts.
An eyewitness said the coach had gone off a steep slope by the A396 Cutcombe Hill between Wheddon Cross and Timberscombe.
The resident, who asked not to be named, said: ‘The coach has gone down the slope. It’s pretty steep around here and it’s a big coach.
‘There are no barriers along there or anything. We’re used to it, you don’t even notice it.
‘I can’t believe it happened quite honestly, it’s the biggest thing I have known to go over the slope.
‘It’s horrendous, and I’m just so sorry for all those kids on that coach.’
Mr Ellis from the fire brigade said: ‘We were mobilised to a major incident of a coach that had overturned onto its roof and slid approximately 20ft down the embankment.
‘Our crews carried out a number of extrications and rescues in extremely difficult circumstances, and they also supported our ambulance colleagues with casualty treatment.
‘This was a very complex and technically difficult incident for our crews to deal with, and I’m grateful for the tireless effort and actions of the crews in doing everything they could for those who were trapped and as quickly as safely as possible.’
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said there were ‘no adequate words to acknowledge the death of a child’.
‘A heartbreaking update on the school bus crash in Somerset,’ he wrote on X.
‘There are no adequate words to acknowledge the death of a child.
‘All my thoughts are with their parents, family and friends, and all those affected.
‘Thank you to the emergency workers who are responding at pace – I’m being kept up to date on this situation.’
Police said on Thursday evening there have been a ‘number of casualties’ and declared a major incident
Police said most of the passengers had been taken off the bus but fire crews were still rescuing others
The update on Thursday evening came after the force confirmed there had been a ‘number of casualties’ and declared a major incident.
Police said the majority of the passengers had been safely taken off the bus and transported to a nearby rest centre.
Others were left trapped on the bus and had to be rescued by fire crews and paramedics.
One of the air ambulances that attended was seen landing at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, which is home to the West’s major trauma centres, BBC News reported.
Avon and Somerset Police said: ‘A major incident has been declared as emergency services work together to respond to a collision involving a coach on the A396 this afternoon.
‘We understand the coach was carrying approximately 60-70 people and was heading to Minehead Middle School at the time.
‘We can confirm a number of casualties have been conveyed to hospital.
‘The large majority of passengers have been taken to a rest centre in Wheddon Cross and we are working with the school to help them return at the earliest opportunity.
‘Officers are at the school to help with that process, and we would ask any parents to please head there.
Police said the majority of the passengers have been taken to rest centre in Wheddon Cross and advised parents to head to the school
The 70-seater vehicle was taking pupils back to Minehead Middle School when the smash happened at around 3pm (picture from the scene)
‘The road remains closed. We’d please ask people avoid the area so emergency services’ response to this incident is not impacted.’
Minehead Middle School caters for pupils aged between nine and 14, and is five days away from the end of term.
A spokesperson for Beacon Education MAT – the trust that the school is part of – said it was supporting families and staff at this ‘very difficult time’.
They added: ‘We will update our school community further as soon as more information becomes available, and we kindly ask for your patience and understanding as we manage this evolving situation with care and sensitivity.’
Peter Prior-Sankey, director of Ridlers, said: ‘We were made aware of an incident involving one of our 70-seater vehicles at about 3.15pm this afternoon, understood to have taken place as a group of school pupils were returning from a daytrip.
‘We have since been liaising with both the school, and the emergency services, while we try to understand the extent of the incident.
‘Everyone within the Ridlers team is of course deeply concerned and anxious to find out more detail – particularly concerning the welfare of the driver and passengers.
‘While we wait for further information from police and other emergency teams, our hearts of course go out to the school pupils and to our driver.
A police car is seen outside Minehead Middle School in Somerset on Thursday evening
Minehead Middle School caters for pupils aged between nine and 14, and is five days away from the end of term
The A396 Cutcombe Hill is a winding rural road in the heart of Exmoor National Park
‘We will be doing everything possible to understand what has happened.’
South West Ambulance Service said: ‘Along with other emergency services, we’re attending a road traffic collision involving a coach near Minehead.
‘People travelling in the area are advised to avoid the A396 between Wheddon Cross and Dunster and find an alternative route.’
Rachel Gilmour, MP for Tiverton and Minehead, said the fatal school coach crash in Minehead was ‘tragic’ and she is ‘heartbroken for the parents and the school and the wider family’.
She told BBC Breakfast the coach was coming from Exmoor Zoo, when it came off the road and went down a 20ft slope, adding that it was ‘pretty catastrophic’.
Asked about the area, Ms Gilmour said: ‘It’s a very difficult road, very, very steep, very windy, and it’s just the nature of rural roads in my constituency, you know, Minehead famously, only has one road that takes you into it on the A39 and if you’re coming from where I live in Bampton or across the Moor, those are the roads that you have to use.’
Ms Gilmour praised the ‘fabulous job’ the emergency services did, adding: ‘We’ve been told up to 20 ambulances went to the scene, three air ambulances, obviously paramedics, police, firemen, you know, just deeply grateful to our emergency services and just heartbroken for the parents and the school and the wider family.’
She said she visited Minehead Middle School recently and it is a ‘fantastic school’ with a ‘great headmistress’.
Three air ambulances, including Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and Devon Air Ambulance, the HM Coastguard and a police helicopter are all on the scene.
