Portland Coastguard helicopter had its busiest day ever as the flight crew battled to help those affected by the flooding.

The team of Captain Simon Hoare, co-pilot Glen Strascey, winch operator Steve Larsen and winchman and paramedic Pat Holder attended eight jobs on Saturday and assisted the other emergency services to get people to safety and out of flood water.

The crew said it had been the busiest day since the helicopter has been based in its current location, although the team have had longer jobs.

Mr Holder said: “Normally its one or two jobs a day.

“We have done longer days but it’s the most individual jobs.”

Among their many taskings they helped father and daughter Alan and Gaby McNamee (see story right) who were stranded in their Freelander in Litton Cheney.

He said: “She was sitting on the roof and he was holding the side of the vehicle and holding her hand.”

The crew said that as winchman Mr Holder landed Mr McNamee let go of the car and went under the water.

The pair were airlifted to safety and taken back to the helicopter’s Portland base.

Wyke Regis Coastguard Team then used their 4x4 vehicle to take them home to Winterbourne Abbas.

Among the other jobs the team were sent to help a person in an electric wheelchair stuck in Bridport’s floodwater but because it was a populated area people were on scene to help them out.

The team said they got great job satisfaction from helping the community they were part of.

Urgent boat trip for Julie

EIGHT-month pregnant Julie Riley had to be rescued from Cox’s Lane in Litton Cheney as the River Bride burst its banks.

If anything had happened she would have had to get to hospital immediately, so her partner towed her in a boat to friend Patrick Vaughan’s 4x4, which was waiting for her on drier ground.

She said: “We run an aquatic plant nursery and it was pretty badly flooded.

“I didn’t need to go to hospital, it was just the fear that if something happened I wouldn’t be able to get there.”

Blushing bride makes it to church on a tractor

IT wasn’t so much a case of ‘get me to the church on time’ for bride Rosemary Smith so much as get me to the church any way possible.

Thanks to contractor David Legg and his shiny new tractor, a warm shawl and gym shoes the blushing bride made it down the aisle to marry groom Jim MaCraken at the church in Whitchurch Canonicorum.

Some – but by no means all – of the bridal party finally managed to get to the ceremony via Hunter’s Lodge and Charmouth bypass and Morcombelake.

Rosemary’s father Henry Smith said getting to the reception in Ilminster was worse.

He said: “We had to go via Taunton Cross to the A303.

“Jim’s family were staying in Chard Friday night and they couldn’t get to the service. They tried four ways but got turned back every time by the police.”

“They came back from New Zealand to get married here – this is certainly one wedding no one will forget.”