Teenage beach walker suffered head injuries

A 14-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital after suffering head injuries at Lyme Regis yesterday afternoon (Sunday).

The teenager, who had fallen while walking along the beach near Church Cliff, was given first aid treatment by lifeboatmen before being flown to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester.

The crew of the Lyme lifeboat had just returned from a training exercise when they were called to help.

Crewmen, Martin Croad and James Rice, waded ashore to give first aid treatment to the girl who had a deep head wound.

An RAF rescue helicopter from Chivenor later arrived to airlift the girl to the landing site at Dorchester Rugby Club, from where she was conveyed to Dorset County Hospital by South Western Ambulance.

Lyme lifeboat operation chief Grahame Forshaw said: ”It was quite a coincidence that I had just presented first aid certificates. The crew did a great job and were praised by the helicopter paramedic for their treatment of the casualty before the aircraft arrived on scene.

The other two lifeboat crew members were helmsman Rob Crabbe and Ritchie Durrant.

The girl’s condition is not yet known.

** Earlier, the Lyme lifeboat crews had trained in towing techniques for the first time using the harbourmaster’s new launch.

Lifeboat manager Grahame Forshaw is also the town’s harbourmaster. He said: “It makes absolute sense to use this asset to the harbour to enhance the training of our lifeboat crew.

“Towing vessels is an important part of our service and the harbour launch, at 21 feet, is ideal for economical use in training.”