Firefighters Rescue Woman Injured on Jetty

It was a busy weekend for Hampton firefighters, with the hot temperatures and large crowds leading to numerous medical calls and one water rescue.

"As the waves rolled in, the parking lots filled up," Hampton Deputy Fire Chief Jameson Ayotte said.

Many of the calls were heat-related medical calls, but around 5:20 p.m. on Saturday, Ayotte said a woman slipped and fell while walking on the jetty near the south end of the Hampton State Park beach, injuring her head and leg.

Hampton Fire and Rescue was dispatched to assist the woman, but since the location of the accident was on slippery rocks with the ocean on both sides, Hampton Fire Capt. Justin Cutting called for the fire boat Marine 1 to be launched to allow for a safer transfer of the patient by water into the boat.

Two rescue swimmers, Matt Newton and Dean Tsonas, entered the water and were assisted by four lifeguards. They floated the patient across the water from the rocks to the waiting boat. Marine 1 served as a water ambulance, as the patient was treated and brought to the Hampton Fire Department's boat dock. The woman was then transported by Seabrook Ambulance to Exeter Hospital.

As that rescue was taking place, another call came in for a child who had been while enjoying the surf at North Beach. Rye Ambulance was called in to assist in evaluating the patient, who refused transport to the hospital.