Motorbike and rider nearly swept away in the storms
Posted on June 29th, 2007
Being swept along a road by tidal floods while riding a motorbike is not everyone’s usual journey home but for Mark Wilson of Sheffield’s learndirect centre, it was all in a day’s work.
Mark, who lives in Matlock, bikes into work every day to the centre which is delivered by Business Advice Direct (BAD) – but his return journey on Monday evening this week ended up being a feat of courage and skill in which he narrowly avoided disaster.
Mark, aged 40, said that when he left work many roads in Sheffield were closed by flooding but he managed to leave the town without difficulty.
“My wife had rung me to say the roads out of Sheffield were closed and that I should leave work early, but being diligent workers we all stayed until closing time!” he said. “It was when I reached Chesterfield that I discovered all the roads to Matlock were blocked,” he said. “I’ve got a big 750cc Africa Twin motorbike – one of those built especially for the Paris-Dakar run - but I checked with local police that I would be able to get through and they said it might be possible and that it was up to me.”
Mark was judging whether to tackle Walton Street in Chesterfield, which appeared to be submerged in one foot of water.
“I could see someone trying to get through on a pushbike so I thought I would take the chance,” he said. “I set off but the water suddenly became deeper – reaching at least two feet – and the water swept the motorbike to one side, leaving me and the bike at a 45 degree angle. I kept thinking that I was going to be swept downstream and that the bike and I were going under the water but I managed to just get through.”
At the end of the road a small crowd had gathered to watch Mark’s desperate struggle and applauded him when he eventually powered his bike out of the water.
“It was spewing out water and steam was coming off the bike and everyone was cheering!” he said. “I was so pleased I had made it through – it was a real achievement, but looking back I wouldn’t do it again. The problem was not the amount of water but the current which was so strong. I had my heart in my mouth all the time.”
Having made it through Walton Street Mark went on to overtake many stranded vehicles with drivers sitting inside and unable to move during his journey home.
“The traffic was gridlocked,” he said. “People often think I’m daft to use the bike in the rain, but it was one of those occasions when the bike really came through for me. I know a lot of people who spent two or three hours that night stranded on the motorway and I have friends who could not make it home.”
On Tuesday Mark faced flooding again to return to work.
“Many roads were closed and I had to bike through more flooded water but it was nowhere near as bad because the water was stationary,” he said. “It was the current that caused the trouble.”
Head of Learning at BAD, Fiona Wright, was overwhelmed at Mark’s bravery and determination to get into work no matter what the obstacles.
“All credit to Mark that he didn’t let his terrifying journey home deter him from struggling back out into the awful conditions on Tuesday,” she said. “I know BAD staff are totally committed to their work but I think Mark has shown outstanding tenacity to have braved the weather when many people would just have stayed at home. I’m sure the learners are just as grateful to Mark as I am.”
