Dramatic rescue after Lowestoft sea fall

Further details about the dramatic rescue of a man from the sea at Lowestoft have emerged.The crew of the Spirit of Lowestoft lifeboat reached the young man just five minutes after their pagers went off during rush hour and had to work skilfully to avoid crushing him between the vessel and the South Pier.

Further details about the dramatic rescue of a man from the sea at Lowestoft have emerged.

The crew of the Spirit of Lowestoft lifeboat reached the young man just five minutes after their pagers went off during rush hour and had to work skilfully to avoid crushing him between the vessel and the South Pier.

Lifeboat spokesman Mike Richford said: 'Coastguards had received calls reporting a man in difficulties at the harbour entrance after jumping into the sea from the South Pier.

'A motor cruiser entering the harbour had already made an unsuccessful attempt to rescue him before the lifeboat left its nearby moorings in Lowestoft yacht basin.

'He was clinging onto wooden pilings at the end of the pier in the harbour entrance just before a large commercial vessel was due to leave the port.

'Coxswain John Fox skilfully manoeuvred the lifeboat in the currents so that the man could be recovered from the sea without being crushed between the lifeboat and the pier head.

'A heaving line thrown by the crew landed on target at the first attempt and the man then had to be encouraged to hold it before being safely recovered on to the lifeboat. The sea temperature was about 13C and the man was developing hypothermia, as well as being cut and bruised by the sea hitting him against the pier.'

The lifeboat crew gave first aid to the man, aged in his early 20s, before an ambulance took him to the James Paget University Hospital, in Gorleston, at just after 5.45pm on Thursday.

Mr Fox said: 'It was a hectic five to 10 minutes and it could have been a different story. He was quite lucky.'