Southend mum cut out of baby swing by firefighters

Leala Vanbest, a 22-year-old from Southend, slipped into a child's swing while hanging out with her daughter and some friends in a park in Southend on Thursday.

After a 10-minute swing and having as much fun as her daughter, Leala decided to hop out and found she couldn’t.

Stuck - Leala Vanbest in the swing (Image: SWNS)

Laughing Leala tried to wriggle free, and friends and strangers attempted to heave her out, but she was well and truly wedged.

Eventually the fire brigade was called, and four firefighters arrived within ten minutes with sirens blaring and lights blazing at around 7.45pm.

Hilarious images showed three firefighters taking the swing apart after failing to pull her out.

Leala, who works in customer services in Southend, said: “I was stuck there for about an hour - it was very, very funny.

Stuck - Leala Vanbest being rescued by firefighters (Image: SWNS)

“Everyone was looking and laughing, and then when the fire engine arrived people started opening their doors to look too - I just couldn't stop laughing.”

Pictures also showed three firefighters all in uniform kneeling in different positions as they figure out how to get the mum out as Leala looked on helplessly, unable to move.

Leala added that she now has bruises from the ordeal.

Stuck - Leala Vanbest being rescued (Image: SWNS)

She added: “The firefighters just kept cracking jokes too.

“I don't know why I even got in the swing, I just walked over to it, and I wasn't really thinking.

“It really hurt when everyone was trying to pull me out, and I have some bad bruises on my hips now.”

The fire crew first detached the swing from its chains, then took off the base, and finally turned the bars so Leala could get her hips through the diagonal gap.

Leala added: “It was good to be free again, but there were loads of kids with only one swing left”.