Coastguard and ambulance helicopters land on Avon beach at Mudeford after swimmer falls ill

A MUDEFORD beach was evacuated for two helicopters to land after a swimmer was pulled from the water when he suffered a medical episode.

The alarm was raised around 2.10pm yesterday (Sunday) after the man, who was in his 70s, got into difficulty off Avon beach, and members of the public brought him ashore before emergency crews arrived.

Coastguard teams from Lymington and Southbourne helped clear the beach and prepare two landing sites about 300 yards east of the Noisy Lobster. They were helped by police, and a cordon also put up.

The coastguard helicopter touched down at the scene, along with the Dorset & Somerset air ambulance.

Mudeford RNLI also responded as the coastguard teams helped carry the casualty on a stretcher to a waiting land ambulance that took him to hospital.

No details were available as to his condition.

A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said today: “HM Coastguard received multiple 999 calls at around 14.15 yesterday afternoon reporting a person in difficulty in the water at Avon beach, Dorset.

“A coastguard helicopter, coastguard rescue teams from Southbourne and Lymington, an RNLI lifeboat from Mudeford, Dorset Police, South West Ambulance Service and an air ambulance were all sent.

“The person was passed into the care of the ambulance service.”

A Dorset Police spokesperson described the emergency as “a non-suspicious medical incident”.