Urgent rescue mission in Topsham after woman falls in river
An urgent search was launched in Topsham after a woman fell into the river late last night (Saturday, November 25). There was a heavy emergency services presence in the town, while crowds of locals gathered to help with the rescue operation. At around midnight, Topsham[1] Quay was covered in emergency services vehicles as they rushed to the scene to search for a woman who was reported to have fallen into the River Exe.
Both a police helicopter and a Coastguard helicopter were involved, alongside an RNLI lifeboat, police, an ambulance and fire and rescue teams. HM Coastguard has confirmed that a person was eventually pulled from the water and passed into the care of the ambulance service. Their condition has not been confirmed.
A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “HM Coastguard responded to a report of a person in the water in the River Exe, near Topsham Quay. Exmouth[2] RNLI lifeboat and coastguard rescue teams from Exmouth and Dawlish[3] were sent, alongside the helicopter from St Athan, an NPAS helicopter, Southwest Ambulance Service and Devon & Somerset Fire Service. A person was recovered by the lifeboat and passed to the care of the Ambulance Service with the assistance of coastguard teams.”
Paramedics and Coastguard on the scene of a rescue at Topsham Quay (Image: Andrew Bowen)
Witness Andrew Bowen said he had been cycling through the town when he heard shouting coming from the riverside. After further inspection, he found crowds of people who had gathered in the street trying to help locate the woman.
He said the estuary looked “horrendous” as the tide was out and it had become “very muddy”. It’s believed that the woman may have been in the water for as long as an hour.
Paramedics and Coastguard on the scene of a rescue at Topsham Quay (Image: Andrew Bowen)
Andrew said: “I went out for a cycle ride and it was round about midnight and I went down by the Quay. I heard people shouting and I thought it was people who had been drinking but it turned out that a woman had fallen in further up towards the Exeter[4] side of Topsham.
I went down towards Goat Walk and there was lots of people out in the little cuts and alleyways shouting and looking and there was a helicopter and everything else. “While I was down Goat Walk, it was pretty grim looking out into the estuary because the tide was out so it was very muddy. Whoever went in, it must have been horrendous.
On the way back, police told us that they’d found her.”