Emergency services told today how they raced against time and the elements to save the life of a disabled woman who fell between rocks at Walton's Naze.

The drama started at 3pm yesterday when Kirsty Allinson-White was on the boulders which form part of a new coastal defence scheme and fell.

Kirsty, 26, from Great Cornard, was trapped from the chest down - and the battle was on to save her.

Schoolchildren were on the seafront and their teacher raised the alarm. Emergency services frantically battled against time as high tide was expected at 6pm.

Around a dozen rescuers surrounded Kirsty and talked to her as a snow storm started. The biting wind whipped across the beach in near-freezing temperatures.

Fire, ambulance, coastguards and police all worked together to try to help Kirsty who is a champion swimmer.

She has held a number of British records and is aiming to qualify for the Paralympics in Australia next year.

Coastguards' watch manager Peter Walley said: "The best thing to do was put a harness on her so if the rocks started moving she wouldn't fall any further in."

That proved difficult due to her position, but once it was on firemen tried to move the huge rocks.

Sub-officer Terry Roberts said firefighters used a heavy duty airbag and hydraulic equipment to move an unstable rock away from her.

If the rock had slipped Kirsty would have been killed, he added.

When the rock was finally moved just before 5pm she was lifted free and winched to safety by the RAF rescue helicopter from Wattisham.

If the tide had reached Kirsty the helicopter would have had to winch her clear in order to save her.

Mr Walley said if the near-freezing water had touched Kirsty she could have died within a very short time.

The helicopter took Kirsty to Colchester General Hospital suffering from chest, leg and hip injuries and hypothermia. She was later discharged after treatment.

Expert swimmer Kirsty in her element.

Picture: CLARE BANKS

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.