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Teenager taken to hospital after rock plunge

10:30am Monday 6th July 2009 in


A TEENAGER who had been drinking was treated in hospital after falling on to rocks in Weymouth.

The 15-year-old boy was taken from Sandsfoot Beach, Wyke Regis, to hospital in a ‘semi-conscious’ condition, complaining of a back injury.

It is believed that the teenager had been trying to walk across a log balanced over the rocks before he fell one to two metres.

Two fire service rescue teams, paramedics and Wyke Regis Coastguard officers were scrambled to Sandsfoot just after 11.20pm on Friday.

Wyke Regis Coastguard Rescue Officer Anthony Goss said two of his colleagues attended to assist the fire service and found the boy ‘intoxicated’ and complaining of a back injury.

Mr Goss said: “Because the boy was intoxicated it was difficult to find out the level of injury.”

He added: “From a coastguard point of view we’d like to make sure if people are going to be along the coastline or cliffs, they keep alcohol in moderation and are aware of the dangers of the surrounding area.

“It can all be very fun but can turn quite nasty very quickly.

“It costs the emergency services money and time.”

He added that many coastguards were volunteers.

A Dorset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said technical rescue teams from Weymouth and Poole were despatched to Sandsfoot.

Due to the difficult access, they used a specialist stretcher to help paramedics move the boy from the beach.

The spokesman said the casualty was handed over to the ambulance crews at 12.11am.

Portland Coastguard said the Wyke Coastguard Rescue Officers were called out after firefighters reported the fall.

Portland Coastguard said: “On arrival on scene, the male youth who was semi-conscious and believed to have consumed alcohol, was recovered to a stretcher and carried to the ambulance fand taken to hospital.”

Comments(22)

SnakeskinCowboy says...
1:31pm Mon 6 Jul 09

Perhaps the police won't "turn a blind eye" to underage drinking, like they have been now..

Recently it seems to be, as long as it's out of town it's out of sight, out of mind..

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Dorset Boy says...
3:14pm Mon 6 Jul 09

Though it is always sad to hear of young teenagers injuring themselves, the following questions have to be asked. How and where did he get the alcohol? Where was his parents? Were they aware where he was? Who is footing the bill for this expensive rescue operation?

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siratb says...
6:19pm Mon 6 Jul 09

Can one "Plunge" "one to two metres"?

I fell off the old Preston Beach Road wall while cycling back along it **** one night many moons ago. Amazing how alcohold dulls the pain....

:)

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jck1214 says...
6:51pm Mon 6 Jul 09

I think by saying 'intoxicated' people often lead to assume that an individual was completely 'out of it', so to speak. I just want to clarify that I had consumed a MINISCULE amount of alcohol, literally a few sips on other peoples. This article mainly focuses around the point of me being drunk, when I think that the main focus of the article should be of safety awareness, and perhaps precautionary steps that should be taken to avoid people from climbing up onto high logs...Etc. Caution signs or even removal of these logs could be a great benefit to everybody’s safety. Perhaps people may think I am ‘stupid’ to climb up onto a high log, but you also have to consider that I am a teenager. And, with generalization, teenagers like to climb, and be adventurous. A previous comment asked where my parents were at the time; my parents were at home, and knew that I was at the beach, expecting me home just as this accident happened. Your use of language insinuates that my parents were not 'bothered' about my where about- I can tell you that this was not the case at all. On a Friday night there are a lot of teenagers out; you can’t expect them to stay in can you? Society has changed a lot, and perhaps your perspective of teenage culture and parenting has aged and is in the past. And just to conclude; my parents were frantic when they heard the news- hearing my mother’s story of what she experienced that night, the next day was heartbreaking.

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jusphil says...
7:14pm Mon 6 Jul 09

What do you expect from dorset police. These teenagers are not in cars they are not an easy target it would mean that they have to get out of there cars and walk to the gardens, What all of 50 metres???.
You would think that the youth of today would look after the old and infirm (police officers) and would drink closer to the roads.

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jck1214 says...
7:25pm Mon 6 Jul 09

And then get caught? Also then wasting police time on harmless, underage drinking (as it would be seen more by the police) instead of their time being spent on more crucial and important things, such as assaults and burglaries. I can personally say that there is a very apparent scariness of police and the law of drinking throughout teenagers. Perhaps if this pressure was uplifted a bit then teenagers would feel more comfortable and safe to drink closer to the roads.

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jusphil says...
7:28pm Mon 6 Jul 09

Sorry jck1214, weymouth
Before I answered before I read your comment. I must say you let down most the teenagers of today.!!! Or is it slightly older jumping to conclutions (like me)or do we believe everything that is printed in the Echo,
Don't tell me all teenagers are teetotal and the Echo gets it wrong again.

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jck1214 says...
7:32pm Mon 6 Jul 09

and then get caught? also then wasting police time on harmless, underage drinking (as it would be seen more by the police) instead of their time being spent on more crutial and important things. i can personally say that there is a very apparent scaryness of police and the law of drinking..perhaps if this was uplightened abit then teenagers would feel more comfortable to drink closer to the roads.

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jck1214 says...
7:35pm Mon 6 Jul 09

posted that comment twice by accident. i let down most the teenagers of today? excuse me?

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yentlrose says...
7:43pm Mon 6 Jul 09

newspapers, blow everything out of preportion, if ambulances etc are all about the money then why dont they just let everyone die?
because we have ambulances for a the reason to help injured or sick people? its not like this was meant to happen & if you dont no about it then you cant really say anything about how his parents feel about it!

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Peddy says...
10:02pm Mon 6 Jul 09

"Caution signs or even removal of these logs could be a great benefit to everybody’s safety". So it is down to someone else to take responsiblity to make the world a safe place for you. Perhaps your parents should wrap you in cotton wool and not allow you out.

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yentlrose says...
10:29pm Mon 6 Jul 09

hes making a point, if people are going to moan saying its all because hes drunk when clearly that is not the only case he fell. then maybe to avoid this something should be done! he was just being an adventurous teenage.

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jck1214 says...
10:40pm Mon 6 Jul 09

Oh Peddy, why don’t we just take away the road barriers in the middle of motorways, because surely the government shouldn’t be covering risks for incompetent drivers? Or why don’t we perhaps take the insulating layer off wires? Your statement makes no sense I’m afraid. The government and Council is there to PROTECT the nation.

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licii says...
10:44pm Mon 6 Jul 09

Peddy-"So it is down to someone else to take responsiblity to make the world a safe place for you"
I'm sorry but isnt that pretty much the emergency services jobs, to make the world a safer place for everyone. jck1214 is only taking into consideration that to prevent an acident happening again there are precautions that can be taken. And he is right about the newspaper blowing everything out of preportion. This isnt the only instance where they have done this, they should take into consideration that this world isnt just for adults with a perfect lifestyle and anything other than that, in worse circumstances, is frowned apon.

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yentlrose says...
10:52pm Mon 6 Jul 09

why do we have emergency services, by the looks of this we dont need them because we are blatently just wasting their time & money when someone gets stabbed or runover also?
he didnt throw himself off the log he slipped so he isnt wasting time of anyone & is just stating that it could be made safer to prevent any further problems.

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Genghis says...
11:36pm Mon 6 Jul 09

What need is there for warning signs? Surely it comes down to an individuals' common sense and risk assessment? We've all done stupid things as kids. My speciality was falling from heights - trees, hills, riverbanks. I didn't need a sign to tell me that falling from a tree could be painful nor would it have stopped me. It was part of growing up and accidents happened. jck1214 has only done what most of us have done ourselves, messed around and had an accident. A valuable lesson but not a reason to wrap the world in cotton wool or bury it under warning signs. Unless parents or hired bodyguards follow the kids around 24/7 there will always be accidents. So have fun but be aware of the risks.

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Peddy says...
9:08am Tue 7 Jul 09

Genghis, I agree with you completely. We must all take responsiblity for our own actions.

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jck1214 says...
10:05am Tue 7 Jul 09

"found the boy ‘intoxicated’ and complaining of a back injury." are the echo writers not capable of telling the truth? i was unconscious, I had NO verbal or physical interaction with any except the paramedic outside the hospital, when I regained conscious. I strongly suggest the echo ad its writers grasp a better understanding in cases such as this. Making it 'bigger' and more dramatic makes me look stupid. Honestly, I have so many people who can vouch for me when I say that I was completely unconscious at the beach. This article is complete rubbish, putting it bluntly.

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585 says...
10:41am Tue 7 Jul 09

Careful jck1214, saying things like that MAY get your account on this website suspended :^)

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jck1214 says...
10:00pm Tue 7 Jul 09

im just stating the obvious, that these reporters obviously need to go back to uni and learn some basic skills. fair do's.

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licii says...
4:28pm Wed 8 Jul 09

lol. agreed. Reporters have to exagorate storylines to get people to read them, otherwise its too boring and they would not have a good reputation as a journalist.

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NearlyLocal says...
6:08pm Sun 12 Jul 09

Can people please learn how to spell??!! Gives more to credibility!!

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