Security camera footage in Wales captured the moment an elderly woman’s coat got snagged on an opening security shutter, hoisting her helplessly into the air.
« People say it could happen to anyone, » Anne Hughes, 71, told reporters after the incident. « No, it could only happen to me! It’s just lucky I’ve got a good sense of humor. »
« I was just stood there when my coat got caught and up I went, » she said, speaking near her home. « I thought ‘flipping heck!’ »
Hughes, who works as a cleaner in the shop, stood outside the Best One shop in Tonteg, near Cardiff, South Wales, at 7:53 a.m. Monday morning. A colleague ran out after 12 seconds and helped get her down safely, lowering her to the ground and helping calm her.
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« I was lucky my coat didn’t break because I really didn’t want to land on my face again, » Hughes said.
The store used the footage in an online promo, posting it to social media platform X with the caption, « Don’t’ hang about like Ann, come down to Best One to get the best deals! The only thing going up in this shop is our staff, not the prices! »
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Hughes remained in good spirits after the incident, which quickly spread on social media as people watched in disbelief – largely because of how unbelievable the scene appeared.
« I’ve only ever witnessed this on cartoons, » one local told Jam Press, while another added with astonishment that Hughes « didn’t let go of her bag. »
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« Why did she see what was happening and chose to find her trolley instead of freeing herself? » another local said, adding that Hughes got « full marks » for never letting go.
Yet another praised Anne for not losing her cool during the incident, saying, « Fair play to her! I hope she’s ok, and I’m guessing by the share that she sees the funny side of it. »
Hughes had a bruise on her face and a black eye when she spoke with reporters, but she clarified that the injuries derived from a different incident as she has been « suffering falls for the past six months or so, and the doctors up the hospital think it’s from low blood pressure, » adding that during the incident « it was going up then! »
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One colleague described Hughes as « a lovely lady » and expressed relief that « she wasn’t hurt in any way. »
« We know customers have been looking at the video – and we are just glad she is well, » the colleague told The Telegraph.