AN EXETER car dealer has been hailed as a ‘knight in shining armour’ after riding to the rescue of two damsels in distress during the recent floods and snowfall.
Matthew Holcombe, of JFE Nissan on Marsh Barton Trading Estate, first sprung into action during the November floods after hearing a stranded Taunton woman’s plea for help on local radio.
Grabbing the keys to a 4×4 Nissan X-Trail on the forecourt he battled through the floodwaters to reach the worried and isolated homeowner and help her move her chickens and rabbits out of harm’s way.
Then, last week, as snow brought chaos to the region’s roads, he chanced upon a worried female motorist too afraid to drive down a treacherous hill after earlier sliding and crashing into a hedge.
Leaving his own vehicle safely parked, chivalrous Matthew took the wheel of the woman’s car and drove her to her destination before returning to collect his own car later.
Now both women have written to the dealership to express their gratitude and praise Matthew’s thoughtful and selfless actions.
But modest Matthew said: ‘My colleagues at the dealership have been winding me up and calling me ‘‘superman’’ and such like but I only did what anyone else would have done in the same circumstances.
‘We don’t just work here, we’re a part of this community and our homes and families could be affected by the weather too, so it’s really important we all pull together and help out.’
Matthew’s first act of valour came back in November when he heard a North Curry woman make an appeal on BBC Radio Somerset Sound as rising floodwaters threatened her property and animals.
After reaching the area, he was forced to park up and wade to the woman’s house, which was already under four feet of water. He then spent the next two hours helping to move her chickens and rabbits to safety.
Shock and sadness
The woman, who has been left in temporary accommodation following the flood, said: ‘The day you came to us was, I think, the most difficult and exhausting one I have ever had – overwhelmed by shock and sadness, surrounded by chaos and totally daunted by the tasks ahead.
‘I cannot thank you enough for coming to help. You were so kind, calm, sensible and uncomplaining – not to mention big and strong!’
His next ‘hero’ moment came last week when he happened across a local woman stranded without a phone signal after losing control of her car on the Bishops Lydiard to Enmore road. After offering the shaken driver advice on how to drive her vehicle downhill, he instead parked his own vehicle and drove the woman home.
Afterwards, she wrote to the dealership saying: ‘I’d had a bit of a scare and was in a position where I couldn’t even move the car forward. Without Matthew’s help I’d have only had two choices – get out and try to walk home or spend the night in the car.
‘Words simply cannot express how grateful I am to him. He’s restored my faith in human nature.’
- This story was prepared by the Nissan Dealer PR Service. Call the Nissan Dealer PR team on 0845 0550504 if you have a story you’d like your local papers and radio stations to know about!