A GIGANTIC 30 stone man had to be removed from his first floor flat in Rowley Regis via the window by the fire service after collapsing.

The man was unable to exit the Thorne Place property by the usual means and it took emergency services three and a half hours to extricate him.

All three emergency services and Sandwell Council officials attended the scene and the firefighters eventually had to use a hydraulic lift to remove the man.

The drama started at 10.45am yesterday morning (Wednesday).

A spokesman for West Ambulance Midlands Service said: “Two ambulances and paramedics from the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team were sent to the scene and West Midlands Fire Service was also in attendance.

“When ambulance staff arrived they found a man who had collapsed in a first floor flat. Once assessed, the man was found to be in a stable condition but needed to go to hospital for further checks.”

He said: “Due to the man being a bariatric patient, the initial ambulance crew requested help from HART and the fire service to extricate the man safely from the property.

“The man was placed into a specialist stretcher before being lifted through a window and onto a fire service hydraulic platform. Once brought down, the man was taken to Russells Hall Hospital in a specially-equipped bariatric ambulance.

“This was a good example of multi-agency team work.”

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service added: "We got a call at 12.16pm from the ambulance service to attend the incident Thorne Place in Rowley Regis. “One male, approximately 30 stone, was removed from a first floor window using a hydraulic platform.”

He added: “The police, ambulance and the council were also in attendance.”