Woman Airlifted from Spit Bank Fort After Sudden Serious Illness
A 35-year-old woman was dramatically airlifted to hospital from the luxury Spit Bank Fort in The Solent after falling seriously ill at a party.
Party Turns Emergency as Woman Loses Consciousness
The woman was enjoying a night out with friends on Wednesday, May 9, when she began drifting in and out of consciousness around 10.30pm. Alarmed friends dialled 999 immediately.
Rapid Rescue Operation Launched
- UK Coastguard scrambled two lifeboats from 1 & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS).
- Two ambulance paramedics met rescue crews at Stokes Bay before transferring to the fort.
- The GAFIRS inshore lifeboat was first to reach the fort, sending crew to assess the woman’s condition, which included fitting and loss of consciousness.
- Additional crew and paramedics were deployed to assist, prepping the woman for airlift.
Helicopter Winch Rescue From The Fort
GAFIRS coxswain Steve Ray explained the tense recovery: “The crew put two members on board to assess the casualty. We followed with more crew and paramedics. Our team prepared the roof for the Coastguard Rescue 175 helicopter’s winchman.”
The winchman descended to the fort, stabilising the woman before she was hoisted into the helicopter and flown to Queen Alexandra Hospital for urgent treatment.
Complex Rescue Highlights Lifesaving Efforts
The entire operation lasted nearly three hours and marks GAFIRS’ 28th rescue this year. Notably, GAFIRS is an independent lifeboat service based in Gosport that receives no funding from the RNLI.
