Brit firemen struggle to lift obese man into ambulance

London, Mar 24 (ANI): British firemen were said to have been left in a quandary when they tried to lift an obese man, who called them for help after falling ill trying to lose weight, into an ambulance.

The rescuers, who estimated the patient weighed up to 60 stone, were called to an address in Croydon after the man called for help, saying he 'couldn't move'.

After spending more than three hours trying to transfer the patient onto a stretcher, they found it 'impossible' to lift him, and left him in his bed overnight with paramedics.

They returned the next day with state-of-the-art equipment and managed to lift him into a super-strong nylon stretcher before carrying him into a specialist ambulance designed to carry severely obese patients.

"We did everything we could, but we didn't really have the necessary equipment to lift him because he was so massive - we just could not get a purchase on him," the Telegraph quoted fireman Dave Field as saying.

"He must have weighed at least 60 stone and we just had to leave him there with the ambulance crew," he said.

He said that the man had gone on 'crash diet' for two weeks in a desperate bid to lose weight, but had made himself ill in the process.

"We went to the same address a few weeks ago when he had fallen on the floor, and that time they managed to get him on to a strong nylon salvage stretcher and manhandle him back on to the bed," he said.

"That time he was in a better state of health, but I don't think he'd eaten anything for the last two weeks," he added.

One neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said: "He's a big man and he is desperate to lose weight.

"We don't see him very often as he is pretty much housebound, but I'm not surprised the firemen couldn't lift him, he is gargantuan," the neighbour added.

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman confirmed two ambulances had been sent to the house that evening to reports of a person taken unwell. (ANI)