Woman winched to safety after falling off 'high' Gosport bridge

The 26-year-old woman fell into Stoke Lake in Little Anglesey Road, Alverstoke, around midnight - prompting a joint operation between fire crews, ambulance, police and coastguards to save her.

The ‘incredibly cold’ woman was left motionless while stranded on rocks in the creak. But, with the tide out, she was ‘lucky’ to only be stuck in shallow water.

A Gosport firefighter, who did not want to be named, said: ‘A young lady fell off a high bridge onto unstable ground about 20ft below. Luckily she fell onto rocks rather than water as the tide was out.

‘She was lying down in the water and was incredibly cold.’

Emergency crews, including a Hazardous Area Response Team, used ladders as a slide to get down to the victim before placing her up on a board and then onto a stretcher.

Ropes were used to pull the stretcher up the ladder.

Hillhead and Portsmouth Coastguards attended along with paramedics and police and firefighters from Gosport, Fareham and Cosham.

‘It was a good job done by everyone,’ the firefighter said. ‘We all worked hard to get her on the board and then onto the stretcher and up the ladder.

‘It was a high bridge.’

The rescue operation was completed by 2am.

The conscious woman was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital.

A spokesman for Solent Coastguard said: ‘Hillhead and Portsmouth coastguards worked alongside emergency partners to rescue a 26-year-old female who had fallen off a bridge into Stoke Lake.’

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