Goldfish survives motorway crash
An accident victim thrown 15 feet through the air when a car overturned in a motorway smash is swimming again as normal.
Bercy, a four-year-old goldfish, flew out of a fish tank and was hurled clear of the vehicle following the accident on the M1 in Leicestershire.
Police who arrived at the scene found the car sodden with water and littered in coloured gravel - prompting a hunt for the missing pet.
As paramedics treated owner Sophia Underhill, 23, for neck and arm injuries, officers combed the northbound carriageway, close to Lutterworth.
"Officers discovered a fish tank lying empty in the footwell, which had obviously been upended in the collision," said a Leicestershire police spokeswoman.
"Realising that people don't usually transport a fish tank full of water unless there's fish is in it, Sergeant Mark Watling searched the car but to no avail.
"Shortly afterwards, officers who were sweeping up glass from the carriageway, found a small goldfish in the middle of lane three, about 15 feet from where the car had landed."
Though police assumed that the fish could not have survived the impact and 15 minutes spent out of his tank, officers took the pet to an ambulance crew.
"In a last attempt to revive him, an officer took Bercy to the paramedics who provided a cardboard tray and some water," said the spokeswoman.
"Amazingly, Bercy started to swim around as soon as he was put in the water."
Police have contacted Miss Underhill and Bercy, who suffered minor cuts, since the accident on Sunday and confirmed that both victims are fully recovered.
Story filed: 18:05 Wednesday 4th February 2004
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One that did not get away......
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