While wild camping at Chapman’s Pool near Worth Matravers in Dorset, a man suffered severe back pain and had to be rescued by the coastguard search and rescue helicopter due to the inaccessible location.
The incident just before 9 am on Sunday 1st March 2026 also involved coastguard teams from St Albans and Kimmeridge, the Swanage all weather lifeboat, the Weymouth inshore lifeboat, and paramedics from the South Western Ambulance Service Trust.
Chapman’s Pool, a quiet but remote spot to camp
Back pain left him unable to walk
The man had been camping on a ledge at the bottom of a steep cliff in the scenic beauty spot when the back injury occurred leaving him unable to walk, and he had to call for help.
With no road access to the bay, the coastguard rescue teams made it on foot down to Chapman’s Pool with a stretcher.
St Albans coastguard reported:
“Due to the casualty state, location, distance from any vehicle access, and underfoot conditions, it was decided a manual carry would be unlikely and unwise.”
Coastguard teams searched on foot for the camper
The man had pitched his tent at the bottom of cliffs which are prone to collapse
Swanage and Weymouth lifeboats were training nearby
The other option was to transport the man out of the bay by lifeboat. Fortunately RNLI crews from Swanage and Weymouth were taking part in a training exercise nearby at Kimmeridge.
The Swanage all weather lifeboat and the Weymouth inshore lifeboat were soon on the scene but by then the sea state had deteriorated and only the inshore lifeboat could get close to the shore at the other end of the bay.
The Weymouth inshore lifeboat and the Swanage all weather lifeboat were training nearby
The Swanage all weather lifeboat sat out in the bay
While the Weymouth inshore lifeboat transported crew members to the shore
“Pain relief and first aid”
Swanage Lifeboat Station reported:
“Two volunteer crew members and first aid equipment were ferried from the Swanage lifeboat to the shore by the Weymouth inshore lifeboat.
“One of the Swanage crew and a paramedic from Weymouth’s inshore lifeboat headed round the bay on foot to provide pain relief and first aid to the casualty.”
The decision was made to airlift the man from the bottom of the cliff to the nearby ambulance
The coastguard search and rescue helicopter 375 from Lee on Solent, landed in a field near the ambulance
Coastguard helicopter rescue
The decision was made to request the coastguard search and rescue helicopter 375 from Lee on Solent.
The new plan was to airlift the man on a stretcher from the bottom of the cliff and deliver him to the ambulance now parked at the nearby Renscombe car park, so he could be taken to hospital by road.
The sun tries to breakthrough the cloud on the Sunday morning
The ambulance took the man to hospital
“We wish the casualty a speedy recovery”
Kimmeridge coastguard reported:
“On arrival, 375 winched its paramedic down, and once safely packaged, the casualty was then winched into the aircraft and flown the short distance to the awaiting ambulance.
“We wish the casualty a speedy recovery.”
Swanage Lifeboat Station added:
“This was a great example of a coordinated rescue between HM Coastguard and two RNLI flank stations.”
