Major Rescue Operation Underway After Woman Falls in Needles Woodland, Isle of Wight
A dramatic rescue mission is unfolding this afternoon on the Isle of Wight after a woman suffered a broken femur following a fall in woodland west of Yarmouth.
Emergency Services Scramble to Scene
Paramedics, a land ambulance, and the Needles coastguard rescue team rushed to the incident shortly after 2.20pm on Thursday, December 29. The injured woman, reportedly with additional medical complications, was in a remote area near Westhill Lane, prompting urgent action.
Coastguard Helicopter Winches Patient to Safety
The coastguard rescue helicopter, Rescue 104, based at Lee-on-Solent, was deployed to winch the casualty from the dense woodland. Hovering above the treetops, the helicopter crew coordinated closely with paramedics and coastguard rescuers on the ground.
Orange smoke signals marked the location as the winchman worked to extract the woman. The decision to call in the helicopter came after the Isle of Wight Air Ambulance was unavailable and due to the severity of her injury.
Injured Woman Flown to Hospital
The coastguard helicopter successfully retrieved the woman and flew her to St Mary’s Hospital in Newport for urgent treatment of her broken thigh bone.
Emergency teams have praised the swift and coordinated response as vital in handling this serious incident in difficult terrain.
