Man in his 70s dies after slipping off harbour wall and falling into sea in front of horrified wife

A PENSIONER has died after he slipped off a harbour wall and tumbled into the sea in front of his horrified wife.

The man, in his 70s, fell off the Cobb in Lyme Regis with his partner but he tragically fell into the water while she landed on the precipice.

A lifeboat team scrambled to the wall in a matter of minutes but they could not rescue the man due to tricky sea conditions.

A crew member leapt into action and ran to the end of The Cobb to enter the water and rescue the man.

He was lifted from the sea with ropes but could not be saved despite the best efforts of paramedics.

The man was declared dead at the scene while his wife was rushed to hospital following the fall just before 1pm yesterday.

She was treated in hospital for injuries to her head and arm.

The RNLI has since warned that the Cobb is extra slippery currently.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: “We received a report relating to a man and a woman in need of medical attention following a fall in the area of the Cobb in Lyme Regis.

“Emergency services attended and very sadly the man, aged in his 70s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“His family has been informed and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.

“The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment to a suspected head injury.

“The incident is not being treated as suspicious.”

A second spokesperson for RNLI said: “It is very sad.

“We went to assist a man who had fallen off the Cobb and into the sea. It is quite slippery on top of the Cobb at the moment.

“The man’s wife also slipped and fell on the wall and was hurt.

“The lifeboat couldn’t get to the man due to the state of the tide, but a crew member ran to the end of the Cobb and approached the man.

“He was recovered by coastguards using ropes.”