Hampshire police appeal for older drivers to seek assistance after Southampton man with dementia becomes lost in New Forest and reverses down boat launch into water

The 70-year-old from Southampton – who was later diagnosed with vascular dementia – was driving around the New Forest in February for several hours, before he tried to complete a turn and accidentally reversed down a boat launch where he plunged into the water.

He was rescued by nearby residents, who pulled him from the water, and he was taken to hospital for a check-up.

Now police are urging older drivers and their families to use The Older Drivers Forum, which supports people to stay on the roads.

Sergeant Nick Tucker said: ‘With the support of this driver and his family we wanted to highlight this incident to show the real life implications of growing older and driving. He surrendered his driving licence with dignity. It is lucky that he did not lose his life that evening.’

‘We work closely with The Older Drivers Forum whose work is all about keeping mature motorists on the road safely for longer. Whether that’s helping by giving practical and informative help and support to continue driving or pointing people in the right direction for an assessment to identify their driving needs, the Forum’s here to help and signpost you to the people to help.

‘The Forum is a not-for-profit organisation made up of experts in road safety – from representatives from the emergency services, to charities, local authorities and businesses.’

More information can be found at olderdriversforum.com.