Latest news with #Eastbourne
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man left with 'suspected spinal injuries' after jumping from pier
A man has been left with "suspected spinal injuries" after jumping from a pier. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution confirmed in a social media post that they attended an incident on July 27 at Eastbourne Pier, just after 8pm. The RNLI said they were called to the scene "after reports of someone jumping" from the pier. Rescuers then "located the casualty being held up by bystanders in the shallow water under the pier with suspected spinal injuries". An HM Coastguard spokesperson confirmed its rescue teams also attended, alongside ambulance crews. The full RNLI post read: "Our D-Class Inshore Lifeboat was tasked for an immediate launch after reports of someone jumping from Eastbourne Pier. "Two minutes after launching, the crew located the casualty being held up by bystanders in the shallow water under the pier with suspected spinal injuries. "The crew carried out an initial assessment before being joined by Coastguard Rescue Officers and ambulance crews. "Emergency crews worked to stabilise the casualty before being transported to hospital by ambulance for further treatment." (Image: RNLI) The post went on to stress the dangers of jumping from pier, adding: "Pier jumping might look like fun — but it can be deadly. "The RNLI is urging people to think twice before jumping from piers, groynes, or sea walls. "Hidden underwater hazards, sudden changes in water depth, strong tides, and the risk of cold water shock can all turn a split-second thrill into a tragedy. "Even experienced swimmers can get caught off guard. "In a coastal emergency, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard." Read more: Watch first trailer for new Battle of Hastings epic drama as release date given New public artwork by 'celebrated artist' to be installed on major throughway Indian restaurant gets one-star food hygiene rating following inspection A coastguard spokesperson added: "Alerted at around 8.15pm, Coastguard Rescue Teams from Birling Gap and Eastbourne and an inshore lifeboat from Eastbourne RNLI were sent to the scene. "The person was located and recovered to a place of safety before getting transferred to hospital."
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
RNLI called after person jumps from Eastbourne Pier
A person has been taken to hospital with "suspected spinal injuries" after jumping from Eastbourne Pier, the RNLI crews said they helped to rescue someone who had jumped from the East Sussex pier at about 20:15 BST on RNLI said it was urging people to "think twice" before jumping from piers, groynes or other sea walls due to the risk of hidden underwater HM Coastguard spokesperson confirmed its rescue teams also attended, alongside ambulance crews. An RNLI spokesperson said in a social media post: "Hidden underwater hazards, sudden changes in water depth, strong tides, and the risk of cold water shock can all turn a split-second thrill into a tragedy. "Even experienced swimmers can get caught off guard."The spokesperson urged people to call 999 or 112 in a coastal emergency and ask for the coastguard.A coastguard spokesperson added: "Alerted at around 8.15pm, Coastguard Rescue Teams from Birling Gap and Eastbourne and an inshore lifeboat from Eastbourne RNLI were sent to the scene."The person was located and recovered to a place of safety before getting transferred to hospital."South East Coast Ambulance Service has been approached for comment.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Trans teen's parents to sue police over his death
The parents of a transgender teenager who took his own life after going missing are taking High Court legal action against Sussex Police. Jason Pulman was found dead in Hampden Park, Eastbourne, in April 2022. An inquest in April 2024 concluded the 15-year-old's emotional and mental needs were "inadequately assessed and provided for" by multiple services and that police "responded inadequately" to his disappearance. Sussex Police has offered condolences to the family but says it cannot comment further. Emily and Mark Pulman are now suing the force over an alleged breach of human rights, with around 10 hours passing between Jason being reported missing and an officer first attending their family home. The couple claim police "failed properly or at all to protect Jason against the risk of suicide" after he was graded a medium risk, adding that there was a "real prospect of a different outcome" if there had been a "reasonable response" to Jason's disappearance. Jason began identifying as a male at about 14 but never received specialist gender dysphoria treatment due to assessment delays, his parents said. In documents filed at the High Court, Mr and Mrs Pulman said Jason also received insufficient mental health support. When he went missing, his mother said she told a police call handler he was transgender, had previously self-harmed and attempted to take his own life, and may have taken public transport. The call handler graded Jason as medium risk but an officer did not look at the case for more than three hours after the first call, despite Mrs Pulman ringing police twice more and stating Jason had informed a friend he was travelling to London, most likely by train, she said. Jason remained graded as medium risk, the British Transport Police were not notified and an officer did not attend the family's home for almost 10 hours after the first call. Jason's body was found by a member of the public about an hour after that visit. 'Long-term damage' Mrs Pulman said: "If the police can actually take accountability for what has happened and what went wrong, that is the only way they can start making changes." Jason's stepfather Mr Pulman added: "No amount of money, no apology, is going to make up for three years of what they've done because that's long-term damage." A Sussex Police spokesperson said: "Our sincere condolences remain with Jason's family following their tragic loss, however, we are unable to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing." If you have been affected by this story the BBC Action Line web page features a list of organisations which are ready to provide support and advice. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story Parents of trans teenager call for better support Teenager died because of care failures, jury says Related internet links HM Courts and Tribunals Service Sussex Police
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Parents of transgender teenager Jason Pulman to sue Sussex Police
The parents of a transgender teenager who took his own life after going missing are taking High Court legal action against Sussex Pulman was found dead in Hampden Park, Eastbourne, in April inquest in April 2024 concluded the 15-year-old's emotional and mental needs were "inadequately assessed and provided for" by multiple services and that police "responded inadequately" to his Police has offered condolences to the family but says it cannot comment further. Emily and Mark Pulman are now suing the force over an alleged breach of human rights, with around 10 hours passing between Jason being reported missing and an officer first attending their family couple claim police "failed properly or at all to protect Jason against the risk of suicide" after he was graded a medium risk, adding that there was a "real prospect of a different outcome" if there had been a "reasonable response" to Jason's disappearance. Jason began identifying as a male at about 14 but never received specialist gender dysphoria treatment due to assessment delays, his parents documents filed at the High Court, Mr and Mrs Pulman said Jason also received insufficient mental health he went missing, his mother said she told a police call handler he was transgender, had previously self-harmed and attempted to take his own life, and may have taken public call handler graded Jason as medium risk but an officer did not look at the case for more than three hours after the first call, despite Mrs Pulman ringing police twice more and stating Jason had informed a friend he was travelling to London, most likely by train, she remained graded as medium risk, the British Transport Police were not notified and an officer did not attend the family's home for almost 10 hours after the first body was found by a member of the public about an hour after that visit. 'Long-term damage' Mrs Pulman said: "If the police can actually take accountability for what has happened and what went wrong, that is the only way they can start making changes."Jason's stepfather Mr Pulman added: "No amount of money, no apology, is going to make up for three years of what they've done because that's long-term damage."A Sussex Police spokesperson said: "Our sincere condolences remain with Jason's family following their tragic loss, however, we are unable to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing." If you have been affected by this story the BBC Action Line web page features a list of organisations which are ready to provide support and advice.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Parents of trans teenager who killed himself sue 'slow and casual' police who failed to find him in time
The parents of a trans teenager who took his own life while on the NHS gender clinic waiting list are suing the 'slow and casual' police force who failed to find him in time. Jason Pulman, 15, was tragically found dead in a park in Eastbourne, East Sussex, in April 2022, having struggled with mental health problems as well as his gender identity. Described as a 'cheeky fun ball of energy', the talented artist was born as Jessica into a family who were frequently relocated by social services in order to try and keep them safe from his violent convict birth father. Last April, an inquest jury found that the youngster's emotional and mental needs were 'inadequately assessed and provided for' by multiple services, and that police 'responded inadequately' to him going missing. Now, Jason's mother Emily Pulman and stepfather Mark Pulman, are taking High Court legal action against Sussex Police over an alleged breach of human rights. Around 10 hours passed between the time that Jason was first reported missing to the force and when an officer visited the family home. Mr and Mrs Pulman have claimed that Sussex Police 'failed properly or at all to protect Jason against the risk of suicide' after he was graded only a 'medium risk'. They also believe that there could have been a 'real prospect of a different outcome' had there been a 'reasonable response' to Jason's disappearance. The devastated pair added that the force is 'flip-flopping' over its position and whether it has learned from Jason's death. Speaking about the 'devastating' inquest and legal battle that has succeeded her son's tragic death, Mrs Pulman, 39, has now urged the force to 'actually take accountability for what has happened and what went wrong'. She added: said: 'I think about Jason and how much he used to fight for things he believed in. He used to go to protests and research and get involved in different things because he wanted to make change.' 'I want to try and get some change for kids like Jason, as I know that that is what he would want as well. 'When I feel like quitting, I have got Jason's cheeky little head in my head, with his outfit, with all his badges on, saying 'you must fight for what you believe', and that is what gives me strength.' While Jason began identifying as a male aged around 14, he never received specialist gender dysphoria treatment due to assessment delays. His parents claim that their son received 'insufficient' mental health support. In the morning of April 19 2022, Mrs Pulman discovered her son was missing from his bed at the family home in East Sussex and immediately called the police. At the time, she informed a call handler that Jason was transgender, had previously self-harmed and attempted to take his own life, adding that he may also have taken public transport. The call handler graded Jason as medium-risk, however an officer did not look at the case for more than three hours after the first call. Mrs Pulman then made two further calls to the police, telling them that Jason had informed a friend he was travelling to London, most likely by train. But Jason remained graded as medium-risk. The British Transport Police (BTP) were not notified, and an officer did not attend the family's home for almost 10 hours after the first call. Around an hour after police visited the house, Jason was tragically found dead in nearby Hampden Park by a member of the public. Nick Armstrong KC, for both Mr and Mrs Pulman, said police knew or should have known that Jason 'represented a real and immediate risk of life-threatening harm', but instead their response was 'slow, and strikingly casual'. In a prevention of future deaths report last year, a coroner said Jason died 'potentially through his mental health and gender identity issues', and that it was 'also possible Jason may have been prevented from committing suicide' if the BTP was made aware that he was missing. In the run-up to his death, Jason was regularly self-harming and abusing drink and drugs, Mrs Pulman previously told Hasting Coroners Court. By early 2022, Jason's worsening behaviour, including shoplifting and being excluded from school for cannabis, meant the family knew he needed more significant psychiatric help. 'He needed more than just a conversation on the phone', Mrs Pulman told Assistant Coroner Michael Spencer in her witness statement. The family 'were done trying to get help from CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)' and Jason himself thought it was 'pointless'. While the youngster had undergone a social transition successfully, he remained 'adamant' that he wanted to see doctors at the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in order to 'feel better in his body', but did not have the chance before his death. GIDS, run by Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, was shut in early 2024 following a series of scandals. The night before Jason disappeared from his bedroom, Mr Pulman thought he was 'off his face' so delayed a family conversation, over a glass of whisky they had found in his room, until the following day, Hastings Coroners Court previously heard. Describing Jason's death as an 'unimaginable tragedy', Mr Armstrong said that the young teenager was a 'source of unlimited joy', with a 'funny, mischievous, artistic and unconventional' personality. Nine days after Jason's death, then-chief superintendent Katy Woolford met with the Pulmans, informing them that they had done 'everything right' and acknowledging that there had been failings by the police. However, Mr Armstrong said that there had been a 'significant and distressing shift in the police's evidence' at Jason's inquest, with the force allegedly seeking to exclude evidence related to the meeting with Ms Woolford and claiming there was 'no arguable omission by anyone'. The force accepted the inquest findings, stating that its service 'fell below the standards expected'. However, Jason's parents claim it altered its stance again when the family threatened to bring legal action. Mr Armstrong said that the force's 'reversal and re-reversal' on its position was 'shameful', adding: 'The claimants do not know whether the defendant has or has not learned from the inquest process.' Mrs Pulman described the force's 'flip-flopping' as like 'torture', while Mr Pulman, 50, said that the pair had been left feeling 'let down, hurt and confused' by the actions of Sussex Police. He added: 'No amount of money, no apology, is going to make up for three years of what they've done, because that's long-term damage.' A Sussex Police spokesperson said: 'Our sincere condolences remain with Jason's family following their tragic loss; however, we are unable to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing.' For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit or visit
