An operation to rescue a man who got drunk in a remote part of the Dengie cost up to £10,000.

It is the second time in a matter of months that the emergency services have been called out to help the man, who lives in a caravan in Althorne.

In November he was found unconscious on the sea wall, his clothing soaked through and covered in ice. He was flown to Southend Hospital suffering from severe hypothermia and made a full recovery.

In the latest incident, last Wednesday, a couple found the man, apparently unconscious, at a sluice alongside Cliff Reach, on the River Crouch, Burnham.

The couple did not stay with the man and when the rapid response vehicle and air ambulance turned up they could not find him.

An Army Gazelle helicopter was in the area and offered to help after hearing the radio transmissions. A land ambulance and a coastguard 4x4 vehicle were also called to assist with the search.

Eventually, at 3pm, the 45-year-old man was found lying beside two empty sherry bottles on the seaward-side of the sea wall. The air ambulance could not land safely because of fading light. The Burnham lifeboat tried to pick the man up, but could not get close enough to the shore.

The coastguard took the man in their 4x4 vehicle to Creeksea, where an ambulance was waiting.

He arrived at Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital for a check-up at 6pm, four hours after the first call, suffering from the effects of the alcohol and exposure.

An ambulance service spokesman said: "I do not want to think how many man hours were spent trying to find this man. You are talking total costs of about £5,000 to £10,000 I would guess.

"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."

Published Tuesday January 25, 2005

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