Emergency services rushed to the rescue, after a 24 foot speed boat flipped over in Studland Bay, ejecting three people into the sea and leaving a woman with suspected spinal injuries in the boat.
Swanage Coastguard, Poole Lifeboat, Coastguard rescue helicopter 175, Dorset Police, South Western Ambulance and a critical care team all responded to the incident at about 4 pm on Thursday 13th August 2020.
When the lifeboat volunteers arrived, they found that the crew of a catamaran, that was nearby at the time, had safely picked up the three people who had been thrown into the water. Two of the lifeboat crew boarded the catamaran to treat the casualties, one of whom had received a facial injury.
In a lot of pain and discomfort with a suspected spinal injury
A winchman from the coastguard helicopter was lowered down to assess the woman who had remained in the speed boat. She was in a lot of pain and discomfort with a suspected spinal injury.
Poole Lifeboat crew reported:
“The decision was made to place the person with the suspected spinal injury, carefully onto a stretcher and transport her and the other female (with the facial injury) to North Haven Steps via the lifeboat, where an ambulance had been requested to attend. Swanage coastguard was also on hand to assist with the medi vac, as they had come across via the ferry.”
The two remaining crew members of the speed boat, despite the incident, were able to take the speed boat back to Cobbs Quay in Poole Harbour and then return to Rockley.
This left Poole Lifeboat crew to head back into Poole Bay, so the winchman could be hoisted back up to his rescue helicopter. The lifeboat was then free to head back to its station, just after 6 pm.
