Woman in electric wheelchair goes into sea in Lyme Regis

A woman is in hospital after her electric wheelchair plunged into the sea off Dorset.

The woman, believed to be in her 20s, was with her family in Lyme Regis when her wheelchair rolled off the stone-built Victoria Pier in the harbour.

Police, paramedics and the RNLI were called to the incident shortly before 13:00 BST. One member of the public also dived into the water to help.

The woman was flown to Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, by air ambulance.

An RNLI spokesman said six members of the lifeboat crew, a coastguard, a local boatman and a paramedic dived to retrieve the woman from 3m below the surface.

Lifeboat crew members said the rescue was difficult partly because the woman was apparently strapped into the wheelchair.

The Devon Air Ambulance landed on the beach and the woman was taken to hospital.