Cyclist rescued from ravine

Cyclist rescued from ravine

LONDON. June 28, 2008/3mnewswire.org/-- Coastguard rescue officers have been working alongside ambulance crew tonight to help a 17 year old cyclist who fell down a ravine in Christchurch.

Portland Coastguard received a request from Dorset ambulance at 10.00 pm this evening (Saturday), requesting help with the cyclist who had a fractured collar bone and was stuck in an inaccessible area. Coastguards in the operations room requested the Southbourne Coastguard rescue team to attend and when they arrived on scene they requested back up from their colleagues from Lymington Coastguard rescue team. The young cyclist could not be evacuated by helicopter due to overhanging trees, but the Coastguard team were able to put him on a stretcher and winch him from his position, then carry him to the waiting ambulance.

Nic Lomsdale, Watch Manager says:

"Although this was an inland task we were pleased to be able to offer the assistance of our Coastguard teams, whose experience with cliff rescues can be invaluable during incidents such as these."

In a separate incident earlier today, the Coastguard helicopter was scrambled to a diver who made a rapid ascent and was reported as floating unconscious by his dive boat. The helicopter airlifted the man to hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

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