25th November 2017. The Isle of Wight emergency services joined forces to come to the aid of a watchkeeper who was taken ill at NCI Needles.

The incident happened at the National Coastwatch Institution watchtower, at the Needles Battery, shortly before 2pm on Saturday. An ambulance attended, together with members of the Needles Coastguard Rescue Team, who used their rescue equipment to help the volunteer watchkeeper down from the tower. CRT station officer Tom Wyeth said: "It's a vertical staircase, a ladder effectively, with very narrow access to the tower. We brought him down on a stretcher, and he was taken to St Mary's by ambulance. We saw him in the hospital and he was sitting up and talking, so I think he's going to be fine." Praising their 'amazing teamwork,' the NCI Needles tweeted: "Brilliant bit of good work. Thanks Needles, good shout."

(Photograph courtesy of the Isle of Wight County Press)