Tina shell-shocked by her deckchair tortoise
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| Free to roam again - George, the giant African tortoise, and her owner Tina Jones |
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TINA Jones got a shock when she saw a deckchair gliding across her garden lawn.
But she was even more surprised to discover the metal reclining chair was stuck on top of 20-year-old George, her giant African tortoise.
George, who is 2ft 6ins long and weighs 55lbs, had somehow managed to get the chair's legs wedged either side of his shell.
Mrs Jones, 46, of Ramsden Heath, near Billericay, was unable to wrench the chair free herself, so called for emergency help from a firefighter to cut George free.
She said: "I had just popped home for lunch and looked out of my window. All I could see was the deckcheck floating around the garden.
"I went outside to see what was happening and realised it was George underneath.
"He is really active for a tortoise and is always exploring, trying to get into all the sorts of nooks and crannies.
"He must have tried crawling under the chair and got himself well and truly stuck."
She said George did not mind at all when Essex Fire and Rescue Service divisional officer Matt Furber, based at Southend fire station, sawed the chair off his back.
Mrs Jones said he kept trying to wander off to find some other tight spot to investigate.
George, who could live to be more than 100 years old, lives in a garden shed with two female giant tortoises, Matilda, seven, and Rosie, 12.
Mr Furber said: "This was definitely the strangest job I've had in 14 years in the fire service. He really was a giant tortoise and he was absolutely stuck fast. I asked the lady if she had any tools and luckily she had a hacksaw.
"It only took me a few minutes to cut it off and he was very good as I was doing it.
"I'm just glad to be able to help and it was nice to see him moving freely again."
4:14pm Monday 12th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Cheeky, Southend on Sea on 4:34pm Mon 12 May 08
All I could see was the [bold]deckcheck[/bold] floating around the garden.
Deckchair me thinks ?
The typing that you can't see behind the picture is this:
[italic]She said George did not mind at all when Essex Fire[/italic]
and Rescue Service divisional officer Matt Furber, based at Southend fire station, sawed the chair off his back.
It also beggars the question, why didn't Mrs. Jones try to saw the leg off the chair before bothering the Fire brigade, as it was she who had the hacksaw!
She can't be that much of a weakling not to be able to wield a hacksaw.
Main thing is that George is ok, as I said when this was reported last week:
It's Tortoise all a lesson !
incidentally why do the Echo duplicate reports on this website? there are loads that appear twiwe)
All I could see was the
deckcheck floating around the garden.
Deckchair me thinks ?
The typing that you can't see behind the picture is this:
She said George did not mind at all when Essex Fire
and Rescue Service divisional officer Matt Furber, based at Southend fire station, sawed the chair off his back.
It also beggars the question, why didn't Mrs. Jones try to saw the leg off the chair before bothering the Fire brigade, as it was she who had the hacksaw!
She can't be that much of a weakling not to be able to wield a hacksaw.
Main thing is that George is ok, as I said when this was reported last week:
It's Tortoise all a lesson !
incidentally why do the Echo duplicate reports on this website? there are loads that appear twiwe)
Posted by: Cheeky, Southend on Sea on 4:36pm Mon 12 May 08
incidentally why do the Echo duplicate reports on this website? there are loads that appear twiwe)
Twiwe ! Silly me
I meant "twice"
incidentally why do the Echo duplicate reports on this website? there are loads that appear twiwe)
Twiwe ! Silly me
I meant "twice"
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