SOS rescue for 'reckless' drinker

Ambulance bosses have criticised a drunk for putting other lives at risk.

Two helicopters, Burnham lifeboat, an ambulance and a 4x4 vehicle were involved in his rescue in a remote part of the Dengie peninsular in Essex.

A man was reported apparently unconscious on a remote path near Elm Farm Sluice on the River Crouch.

It took an hour to find the 45-year-old man from the Althorne area. He was lying with two empty sherry bottles on the path south of Stoke's Hall Farm.

I do not want to think how many man hours were spent trying to find this man and getting him treatment Ambulance service spokesman

An ambulance service spokesman said: "This rescue operation tied up valuable resources for many hours when they could have been dealing with other serious incidents - it could have put other lives at risk. This sort of reckless attitude is simply not acceptable."

A rapid response vehicle and the air ambulance initially sent to the scene did not find the patient, despite a search from the air.

The crew of an Army Gazelle helicopter from Wattisham airfield had heard the radio transmissions and offered to help in the search.

When he was eventually spotted, fading light meant the air ambulance was not able to land safely.

Burnham lifeboat was despatched to pick him up but could not get close enough into the shore to do so.

Alcohol and exposure

Eventually the coastguard 4x4 vehicle took the man to Creeksea to the waiting ambulance.

The man arrived at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford four hours after the initial call, suffering from the effects of the alcohol and exposure.

"I do not want to think how many man hours were spent trying to find this man and getting him treatment," the ambulance service spokesman added.

"We would not recommend people drink to excess, but to do so in such a place courts disaster. Had he not been found he could easily have died of hypothermia."