A BRIDGWATER care worker helped to save the life of one of the people seriously injured after jumping off Durdle Door last weekend.

In scenes that shocked the nation during lockdown, hundreds of people packed onto the Dorset beach known for its iconic landmark, but were forced to evacuate after three people became seriously injured after 'tombstoning' from great heights from the arch into the sea.

Bridgwater care worker Yasmin Allen, 23, was on the beach on Saturday, May 30, and witnessed the shocking incident.

Once one of the victims was back on the land Yasmin and two other members of the public laid him on the ground and performed CPR for nearly 20 minutes.

A specialist first aider then arrived before the coastguard and paramedics turned up a short time later.

Yasmin said: "My sister Courtney and I were on the beach and saw it unfold. The lad jumped in and just didn't come up.

"Thankfully the two guys who’d been sat behind us had gone out on their paddle boards just in case something went wrong.

"They did so well to get him up and pull him back to shore. He was not conscious so myself and two other people laid him out and started CPR.

"It felt like longer but it was probably about 20 minutes before a first aider and then the paramedics turned up. They put a defibrillator on him and he was taken away in the air ambulance."

Air ambulances landed at the scene and crowds of people were evacuated from the beach and surrounding cliff area.

Lulworth Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) posted on Facebook that people had been jumping from the arch “encouraged by the crowds on the beach”.

“Upsetting scenes like we and many others witnessed at the weekend illustrate how very dangerous tombstoning is. We couldn’t discourage it enough,” the CRT said.