Woman rescued after car plunges into canal

The driver was rescued by an off-duty firefighter

A woman has been rescued after her car plunged into a canal and sank below the surface.

The white Audi vehicle ended up in the Bridgewater Canal after colliding with a van on Edge Lane in Stretford, Greater Manchester, shortly after 08:30 BST.

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (GMFRS) said the car had fallen from a bridge overlooking the canal and she was rescued by an off-duty firefighter.

The crash resulted in a major emergency service response involving the fire service, Greater Manchester Police and the North West Ambulance Service.

The car was reported to have struck a van before veering off the bridge

GMFRS said two fire engines and a water incident unit were deployed to the scene.

They said: "One woman was rescued by an off-duty firefighter before the attendance of emergency services, with firefighters working alongside GMP, NWAS and the Canal and River Trust to make the area safe.

"Crews were in attendance for an hour and a half."

A police spokesperson said the woman had been taken to hospital as a precaution.