SOUTHAMPTON fire crews were called in to help lift an obese patient into an ambulance.

Crews from Hightown and St Mary’s attended a flat in Wharncliffe Road, Woolston, at 8pm on Friday after they were called in by the ambulance service.

They helped paramedics to get the 61-year-old woman down the stairs, providing manpower as the woman was brought down in a specially designed chair.

There was no lift.

The fire service said she was then taken to hospital in a special ambulance designed for larger patients.

South Central Ambulance Service confirmed they had been called to a woman for a “medical episode”, not considered to be life threatening.

She had initially called 111, but they had then routed the call to 999.

It sent two ambulances, a community responder and its hazardous area response team.

The woman was taken to Southampton General Hospital.