News, Manchester
A man is hoping to track down the strangers who came to the rescue of his grandfather after he fell down an embankment while riding his mobility scooter.
Terrance Pringle, 90, was taken to hospital with five broken ribs after the accident happened on Stanley Street in Stalybridge, Tameside, on Tuesday afternoon.
Steven Pringle said he had been trying to do a three-point turn when the vehicle got stuck in reverse and dragged him down the slope, pinning him to a fire door on a nearby building.
But several kindly passers-by came to former Paratooper’s aid, helping him off the scooter and offering a blanket and clothing to act as a pillow until medical help arrived.
Mr Pringle is now appealing for them to come forward so he can personally thank them and “buy them a pint”.
The 41-year-old, from Hyde, said he was “devastated” and “in bits” when a pedestrian first called him on his grandfather’s phone to let him know what had happened.
He told told how an older man had spotted the accident and tried to move the scooter but it was too heavy, so he flagged down two young men in a car to help.
He said those men then helped to move the scooter off Mr Pringle while one used his jumper to support his head, while another person brought a blanket.
They waited with Mr Pringle until paramedics arrived.
Mr Pringle said he wanted to reach out to thank those who had helped but by the time he arrived at the scene they had gone.
A message posted on Facebook by Mr Pringle in a bid to try to find them has since been shared hundreds of times.
“I was very grateful and thankful that people like that still exist in the world,” he said.
He said he wanted to return the jumper to one of the men who helped and “just to maybe buy him a pint and tell him I’m grateful”.
“It gave me a bit of a boost that there’s still community spirit out there,” he said.
Mr Pringle said the accident happened while his grandfather was on his way to do some shopping on his scooter, which he affectionately calls his “Harley”.
He had forgotten his wallet and had been trying to turn around to go back home to get it.
His son said he was continuing to recover in hospital and remained there for pain management.
