UPDATED: Cyclist airlifted from Portland (From Thisisdorset)
When news happens send us your pictures, video and views. Text BE to 80360 or contact us by email
UPDATED: Cyclist airlifted from Portland
9:12am Saturday 16th February 2013 in Latest
A CYCLIST with 'serious' suspected head injuries was airlifted to hospital.
The cyclist was taken from Portland to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester at 6.28pm last night.
It is understood the 41-year-old local man was unconcious for a time, and suffered a number of injuries, including a serious head injury.
The Lee-on-Solent Coastguard Rescue helicopter and Portland Bill coastguard rescue officers assisted South West Ambulance in the airlift.
A spokesman for Portland Coastguard said: "We responded to a direct request from South West Ambulance for assistance in transferring the casualty to hospital.
"The head injury was the greatest concern, and the helicopter was scrambled because of the time element in getting him from the place of the accident to hospital where he could receive medical care."
The incident happened around the entrance to the football ground near Longacre Quarry.
Wyke coastguard rescue officers met the helicopter at the hospital A&E landing site.
Comments(15)
Laadeeda
says...
11:34am Sat 16 Feb 13
marabout wrote:Wouldn't suprise me if response times where being researched prior to closure!!!!!
Why did the Lee-on-Solent helicopter respond and why not the Portland Helicopter?
Hope I'm wrong and PO's chopper was simply unserviceable!
Spart1cus
says...
3:28pm Sat 16 Feb 13
Good to see there is helicopter cover even if it's not from Portland. Shows it's not as essential as some like to pretend.
poolepoole
says...
5:15pm Sat 16 Feb 13
poolepoole
says...
5:16pm Sat 16 Feb 13
Laadeeda
says...
5:21pm Sat 16 Feb 13
poolepoole wrote:Forgot about that!!!! Your quite correct.
The Portland helicopter only operates during daylight as it us not fitted out with the night rescue equipment.. the silent helicopter is always used for night flights
Should have added to my original post, hope the cyclist is recovering ok.
Crabber
says...
11:28pm Sat 16 Feb 13
So that's another Nail In Our Helo's Coffin then. Hope the cyclist is OK
Crabber
says...
11:28pm Sat 16 Feb 13
So that's another Nail In Our Helo's Coffin then. Hope the cyclist is OK
Bob Goulding
says...
11:35am Sun 17 Feb 13
marabout
says...
2:05pm Sun 17 Feb 13
What a waste of money. Who on earth procures a helicopter that can only operate in the daytime.
Bob Goulding
says...
6:13pm Sun 17 Feb 13
marabout wrote:I you had bothered to read the two previous posts then you would know the true position. Operational availability is limited by funding not capability.
If the Portland Helicopter is only available during the daylight then its a good job we are going to get rid of it and use a 24 hour capability.
What a waste of money. Who on earth procures a helicopter that can only operate in the daytime.
marabout
says...
6:10pm Wed 20 Feb 13
Bob Goulding wrote:Well if that is the case then lets stop funding the Portland aircraft and save us all a heap of money and use it to fund an aircraft which is available 24/7.
marabout wrote:I you had bothered to read the two previous posts then you would know the true position. Operational availability is limited by funding not capability.
If the Portland Helicopter is only available during the daylight then its a good job we are going to get rid of it and use a 24 hour capability.
What a waste of money. Who on earth procures a helicopter that can only operate in the daytime.
Bob Goulding
says...
12:24pm Fri 22 Feb 13
marabout wrote:You really don't get it do you.
Bob Goulding wrote:Well if that is the case then lets stop funding the Portland aircraft and save us all a heap of money and use it to fund an aircraft which is available 24/7.
marabout wrote:I you had bothered to read the two previous posts then you would know the true position. Operational availability is limited by funding not capability.
If the Portland Helicopter is only available during the daylight then its a good job we are going to get rid of it and use a 24 hour capability.
What a waste of money. Who on earth procures a helicopter that can only operate in the daytime.
There is no plan to reinvest the cost of the Portland helicopter in other parts of the rescue services. It is a simple, though totally ill-conceived, cost cutting exercise.
It has already been demonstrated that the the likely cost of the inevitable additional fatalities caused by the closure will outweigh any perceived saving.
What we would get (and currently get for that matter) from the remaining services is 24/7 operation but not 24/7 availability. Assuming a helicopter is available when you need it will still take longer to respond and that, in some instances, will be just too long.
marabout
says...
12:47pm Fri 22 Feb 13
I agree that it would be lovely to have a rescue aircraft positioned at tactical sites all the way along the coastline but we simply cannot afford it and so it makes perfect sense to position the aircraft n the centre of the allocated area. Remember that the SAR aircraft at Portland is a relatively new asset. Prior to 1987 the aircraft was based at Lee and operated from their very successfully. The SAR aircraft only moved to Portland when the Wessex V reached its out of service date.
Bob Goulding
says...
12:58pm Fri 22 Feb 13
marabout wrote:And what were the circumstances of the February event? Was the Portland helicopter in service at the time? Was it attending another emergency? It is physically impossible for the Lee on the Solent helicopter to attend an incident off Portland faster that the Portland helicopter.
No it wont. It was proven in February that the aircraft from Lee was on scene and attending to the casualty quicker than the Portland aircraft.
I agree that it would be lovely to have a rescue aircraft positioned at tactical sites all the way along the coastline but we simply cannot afford it and so it makes perfect sense to position the aircraft n the centre of the allocated area. Remember that the SAR aircraft at Portland is a relatively new asset. Prior to 1987 the aircraft was based at Lee and operated from their very successfully. The SAR aircraft only moved to Portland when the Wessex V reached its out of service date.
I haven't checked but I suspect that back-up was available from the Portland RNAS prior to 1987.
marabout says...
10:06am Sat 16 Feb 13