A VEHICLE recovery service carried out a successful mission to fish out a car that was swept away by a river.

The incident happened at Neen Savage ford near Cleobury Mortimer on Sunday morning (April 7), with four people managing to get out of the BMW to safety.

Wolverhampton-based firm Burke Bros Recovery were called to the scene and embarked on an operation to recover the car from the River Rea.

The task required the deployment of skilled water rescue operatives along with specialist equipment.

The team executed a plan that involved the coordination of resources, including a welfare unit and a lorry loader crane, ensuring the safety and efficiency of the operation.

The recovery team successfully recovered the vehicle, which had swept 250 meters downstream.

Ralf Brayden, incident commander at Burke Bros Recovery, said: "The successful recovery of the BMW from the River Rea exemplifies the remarkable capabilities of our water rescue team, which was a tough challenge winching the vehicle back upstream until we found a suitable place to lift the vehicle out."

"Our operatives' expertise, combined with our specialized equipment and unwavering commitment to safety, enabled us to execute this operation with precision and efficiency."

A spokesperson for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service added: "It was a submerged car and all the occupants were out of the vehicle before we got there".