Latest news with #poisonousPlants
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Foragers rescued from island over fears they had eaten poisonous plant
A pair of foragers had to be rescued by lifeboats from an island as they thought they had eaten poisonous hemlock. Lifeboats were called after the 'experienced' foragers feared they had ingested the toxic plant. They were found in the eastern beach of Sully Island, off South Wales, 'showing signs of anxiety'. The pair were taken by boat to the mainland where coastguards found they had high pulse rates and were treated with oxygen. They were taken to hospital for checks and later given the all clear. Bill Kitchen, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Barry Dock RNLI, said: 'We've since been in touch and are very relieved to hear that both have made a full recovery. 'They absolutely made the right call in seeking help – in situations like this it's crucial that medical attention is sought without delay. We're very glad this had a positive outcome.' 'Notoriously poisonous plant' The Wildlife Trust describes hemlock as 'a notoriously poisonous plant' which has 'umbrella-like clusters of white flowers in summer'. The plant contains toxins that attack a person's nervous system and can be fatal. According to the trust it 'can be found in damp places, such as ditches, riverbanks and waste ground.' Sully Island is an uninhabited small island that can be accessed by foot at low tide from the village of Sully in the Vale of Glamorgan. It is 400 metres off the mainland and each year a number of visitors are rescued by lifeboats having misread the tide and become stranded.
Sky News
13-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Sully Island: Foragers rescued from Welsh island after eating suspected poisonous plant
Two people had to be rescued from a Welsh island after eating a suspected poisonous plant. The pair were "showing signs of anxiety" after consuming what is believed to be hemlock, the RNLI said. A crew was sent from Barry Dock to Sully Island, off the coast of Swanbridge in South Wales. Hemlock is a poisonous plant with umbrella-like clusters of white flowers in the summer. The plant, which produces a repellent smell when its leaves are crushed, can be fatal even in small amounts. The experienced foragers were found on the eastern beach on Saturday 3 May and were immediately taken for treatment back on the mainland. They were given oxygen by the Barry Coastguard Rescue Team, who identified elevated pulse rates. Bill Kitchen, lifeboat operations manager at Barry Dock RNLI said in a statement it had been "in touch" with the pair and were "relieved to hear that both have made a full recovery". "They absolutely made the right call in seeking help - in situations like this, it's crucial that medical attention is sought without delay. We're very glad this had a positive outcome," he added.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Sully Island: Forages rescued after potentially eating hemlock
A pair of experienced foragers had to be rescued from an island after potentially eating poisonous hemlock, coastguards have Dock RNLI sent a lifeboat crew to Sully Island, off the Vale of Glamorgan coast, where the foragers were found in an anxious state. They were moved from the island's eastern beach to the mainland where Barry Coastguard Rescue Team found they had high pulse rates and put them on oxygen. Hemlock with its umbrella-like clusters of white flowers looks and smells like parsley and has toxins that can cause death by attacking a person's nervous system. The foragers were rushed to A&E and the coastguard was stood down. "We've since been in touch and are very relieved to hear that both have made a full recovery," said Barry Dock lifeboat operations manager Bill Kitchen. "They absolutely made the right call in seeking help – in situations like this, it's crucial that medical attention is sought without delay. "We're very glad this had a positive outcome."
