Woman, 21, in amazing rescue after falling from North Sea ferry

A WOMAN has survived an amazing rescue off the Yorkshire coast after falling overboard from a passenger ferry bound for Holland.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Sep 2011, 13:00 BST

The Humber Coastguard was alerted last night after the 21-year-old woman, believed to be from Hertfordshire, fell from the DFDS ferry, about 20 miles east of Scarborough.

A Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield was scrambled and the Scarborough and Filey lifeboat crews were put on standby, but it was the ferry’s own rescue craft which helped to bring the woman from the water.

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After 30 minutes in the water, she was winched on board the helicopter and flown to Scarborough Hospital, where she was checked for hypothermia. It is not known how she fell from the ferry.

The water in the North Sea was around 14C at the time.

Coastguard watch manager Mike Green said: “She was extremely lucky given the sea was quite rough and it was after darkness had fallen.

“Hypothermia quickly sets in so it was fortunate she was spotted so quickly.

“It could easily have been a very different outcome.”

The ferry continued its voyage to Ijmuiden, Netherlands, where it was scheduled to have berthed this morning.

Related topics:YorkshireNorth SeaHollandHertfordshire