Prickly Situation As Window Cleaners Save The Day

Tom Oakes and workers from Archer Window Cleaning rescue a hedgehog they found drowning in the Ashton canal. Click to enlarge.

Window cleaners to the rescue as they save drowning hedgehog: A group of window cleaners helped get a hedgehog out of a prickly situation - by saving it from drowning. Seven workers were cleaning the windows of an apartment block in Ancoats when they spotted the animal in distress in the Ashton canal. Despite being on a deadline to finish the work, the men downed tools and used their own extendable poles to fish it out of the water.

Chris Oakes, 44, who runs Archer Window Cleaners, said: “One of the lads spotted something in the water and he thought it might be a turtle or something at first. “But when we got a bit closer we realised it was a little hedgehog. “It was really small so can’t have been very old. “It was on the far bank of the canal from us and it was trapped under some trees hanging over the canal. “It kept going under the water and looked like it was in trouble. “I know hedgehogs can swim but this one definitely wouldn’t have got out. “We couldn’t reach it so we got some of our extendable poles and managed to get him to crawl onto it. “Once we got him out we rang the RSPCA but they told us to take him to the vet.”

The spikey critter is expected to make a full recovery. Click to enlarge.

After rescuing it, Chris and his team, including his son Tom, 25, handed the animal over to a vet in Salford. They have been given the good news that it is recovering well from its ordeal and they plan to collect it tomorrow from the surgery (FRI) before releasing it back into the wild. Chris said: “It was obviously a bit of surprise, we didn’t expect to have to do something like that. “We had a deadline to hit but it’s a living thing so you can’t just leave it. “We had no hesitation in trying to save it. We’re just glad it’s okay.”

Archer window cleaners at the Vets tonight collecting "Archer" the Hedgehog. The hedgehog will be released later tonight near lots of fieldsilled with bushes, shrubs, trees and will hopefully have a little more luck.

Say Goodbye To Two Window Cleaners

Chris Minneci, pictured with his wife Sue and son Larson, died Thursday morning in dirt bike accident in North Salt Lake.

Dirt bike accident kills Park City man - Chris Minneci died on the scene at the Jordan River Parkway. A Park City resident died on Thursday after he crashed his motorbike in North Salt Lake. Chris Minneci was 38-years old and was riding his motorbike on the Jordan River Parkway dirt bike path around 11 a.m. The Davis County Sheriff's Office reported that he went off a 50-foot jump and lost control of his bike and landed with the bike on top of him. He suffered severe head trauma and died at the scene. He was wearing a helmet.

Minneci's wife, Sue, said he was an avid dirt biker and frequented the Jordan River bike park about twice a week. "He had a really nice group of friends that he rode with and we are planning a memorial ride in his honor," she said. "He will be missed by so many people, especially at poker tables around Park City." She said he was also well known in the skiing community and was a pioneer of free skiing at Steamboat, Colo., and Alta. He was featured in numerous photo shoots and a ski video in 2001. Minneci said her husband spent his time with his blue heeler and his dad fishing the Provo River, skiing moguls and biking.

The family lived in Tollgate Canyon for four years before moving to the Prospector neighborhood in Park City a year ago. He started Better View Window Cleaning in 2000. "He knew a lot of people in town and was a great local business owner," she said. Minneci said she met Chris skiing in 2006, they were married in 2008 and had their son, Larson, in 2010. "He is almost two years old and will have to grow up without his dad," Minneci said. "But he will always hear such good things about him." A fund has been set up by Trailside Elementary School, where Sue Minneci is a teacher, to help cover funeral expenses. To donate to the fund, call 645-5680. A memorial service will be held for Chris Minneci on Monday, April 9, at 4 p.m. at the Silver Star Plaza in Park City.

Family’s grief for popular window cleaner who died in canal fall: Tributes have been paid to popular Devizes window cleaner Gary Smith, who died after falling into the Kennet and Avon Canal at Caen Hill on Friday night. Mr Smith, 45, of Nursteed Road, was pulled from the canal by emergency services at about 8pm and flown to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. But, Mr Smith died in hospital at 10pm. His mother Barbara and the rest of his family are devastated by his death. Mrs Smith said: “Gary was much loved by his family and friends and will be sadly missed. “He grew up and lived in Devizes all his life and was a very well-known and liked member of the community. We would like to thank Wiltshire Police and the emergency services for the help and comfort they have given us.”

Mr Smith’s brother, Stephen, who lives in Sidmouth, Devon, said: “I will never be able to look at the canal in the same way again. We used to play down there when we were kids. We would skate on the ice when it froze over in winter.” Mr Smith had worked with his other brother Kevin as a window cleaner for 20 years and he was a regular at the Pelican Inn in Devizes Market Place where he was a member of the pool team. Landlord Ray “Doey” Burt said: “I knew Gary from the time he was 17. He was a lovely friendly bloke and quite a character. He was very strong and would do one-armed press-ups in the middle of the bar. “He was a bit hyperactive but there was no nastiness about him at all. He got on with everyone. “He was very fit and a good footballer. He told us that he ran from Chippenham to Devizes one morning because he didn’t have any transport and didn’t want to be late for work.”

Mr Burt’s daughter, Natalie, who runs the pub with him, said: “He was a real character. I was probably one of the last people to see him alive on Friday. He was in here when he got a call from his girlfriend. As he went out I told him to be careful.” A 47-year-old woman, thought to be Mr Smith’s girlfriend, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but was later released without charge and police have said they are now satisfied that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Smith’s death. One of Mr Smith’s closest friends, Eddy Gouldbourne, said he was still deeply shocked by his death. He said: “I’m still in bits about it now. “Gary was a friend of mine for eight years. He was outgoing and liked a laugh and a joke. I can’t believe he’s gone.”

Other friends of Mr Smith have been leaving tributes on the Gazette & Herald website. One said: “RIP Gary. You are such a lovely man who loved being with friends. You will be missed by many.” Another wrote: “Taken from us tragically and unnecessarily. Many people will miss you my friend.”