Teen airlifted to hospital after plunging 15ft off harbour wall while fighting off SEAGULL trying to nab her ice cream
The 18-year-old was eating the snack on a pier before the bird lunged and she tumbled down
A TEENAGE girl eating an ice cream on a seaside pier injured her spine after falling 15 feet when a seagull lunged at her snack.
The 18-year-old fell from the harbour wall on Smeaton's Piet in St Ives, Cornwall, yesterday after the bird tried to nab her ice cream.
An RNLI lifeboat team was there to help within seconds, she was treated for spinal injuries and taken to hospital by air ambulance.
Eyewitness Chris Oates said: "She was attacked by gulls, panicked and fell off - we could see the gulls but not the fall - there was no reaction from anyone on the beach but we saw someone looking down by the first ladder.
"Ian Kemp the assistant Harbour Master grabbed blankets and ran down to make sure an ambulance had been called and to see what he could do.
"First Responder was a local BT OpenReach Engineer Daniel Vincent closely followed by the Lifeboat Crew."
Her mum, Anita, called in to a local radio station to describe what had happened.
She said: "She was sat on the pier eating an ice cream and a seagull came and took it off her and she just fell onto the pebbles at the bottom.
"It was a case of being in the right place at the right time because as soon as she fell a coastguard came running over and said 'Don't move, just don't move.'
"They were absolutely amazing with her.
"Joanna phoned me and said 'Don't worry mum but I've fallen off a wall.
"They're just checking me over but I've got to go.'
"And that was the only phone call I had.
"I was absolutely gutted because that's your worst fear isn't it?
"I'd do anything for my children I'd take all that pain away.
"It is tough - but she is absolutely fine."
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On Tuesday an RNLI spokesperson said: "RNLI lifeboat crew from St Ives RNLI and lifeguards from Porthmeor assisted an 18-year-old woman who fell off Smeatons Pier this afternoon and suffered a suspected spinal injury.
"Volunteer lifeboat crew were returning from an exercise when they were alerted to a woman who'd fallen 15ft off the pier onto the sand.
"Lifeboat crew responded immediately and provided casualty care to the woman.
"Two RNLI lifeguards from Porthmeor also came to the scene and assisted. The teams worked together to transfer the casualty onto a spinal board. The D class lifeboat was used to transport the casualty from the sand to the Cornwall Air Ambulance, which had landed on the beach.
"The casualty was airlifted to Treliske Hospital for further care."
Rob Cocking, RNLI coxswain of St Ives lifeboat, said: "It was a case of right time, right place today as the crew were walking back to the station from an earlier exercise and were on scene seconds after the incident happened.
"The crew and lifeguards worked well together to assist the woman who was obviously shaken by what had happened.
"We wish her a speedy recovery."
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