The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency has released dramatic footage of 13 people rescued by a UK Coastguard helicopter after they were trapped in the gondola of the Jurassic Skyline tower on Festival Pier, Weymouth.
On Sept. 5 just before 5 p.m., DW Fire called the UK Coastguard’s Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) and requested UK Coastguard helicopter assistance after efforts by engineers to free the stuck gondola failed. Emergency service teams on scene had explored a number of rescue options, but most were discounted on the grounds of safety due to the inclement weather.
Within 15 minutes the UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Lee-on-Solent (crewed by Captain Simon Tye, Co-Pilot Simon Hoare, Winchman Operator Chris “Spike” Hughes and Winchman Alistair Kitwood) was scrambled and arrived on scene just before 6pm, alongside the other emergency service crews.
UK Coastguard ARCC Controller Mark Chamberlain said: “We received the call at 4:50 p.m. and within 15 minutes we decided that the UK Coastguard helicopter might be able to help those trapped in the gondola. This is definitely one of the most unusual call outs we’ve had but our helicopter crews are trained for all types of rescues, including cathedral steeple towers and precarious cliff tops. We gathered as much as information as we could so that they were fully prepared for when they arrived on scene and this successful outcome is testament to the dedicated training that all of our emergency services’ crews undertake for when the call comes in. Our Lee-on-Solent crew definitely deserves a well-earned rest after today because not long after this job they were called in to assist in another rescue!’
UK Coastguard helicopter Captain Simon Tye said: ‘This was an unusual job and aspects of it were challenging. What made it achievable was the way that everyone was prepared for it. We had excellent communications with the National Maritime Operations Centre and the Commander of Dorset Fire & Rescue Service which fully prepared us for what we were flying to and how we were going to achieve the mission. The Coastguard teams and Dorset Police had prepared us a landing site and once we landed on scene we liaised with rescue teams and prepared a plan for the safest way to carry out the rescue. We were really the last chance of getting them to the ground.
“The tower is an odd shape with an overhang so we worked out that we needed to hover at around 180 feet at a close distance of five feet from the top the tower to carry out the rescue safely.
“Everyone was incredibly brave waiting their turn to be rescued but the first to go up was the baby and mum with the winchman. We carried the baby in a special child rescue valise which is basically a large carry cot modified for winching and then we winched up the toddler and took all three down to the ground. To ensure we had maximum performance from the aircraft we took the remaining casualties to the ground in groups of two. This meant we landed six times and refueled during the middle of the operation. After we had refueled it had turned dark but by this time we were well practiced with the operation.
“We would like to say a big thank you to the multiple emergency services’ teams on scene who pulled together to make this such a successful rescue mission.”
