Hayling Island RNLI lifeboats responded in great haste when a 62 year old man with health problems fell from his catamaran into Chichester Harbour in fading light.

On Sunday evening, 4th October, the casualty was transferring from his dinghy into his 28ft catamaran which was anchored in Chichester Harbour near the Witterings when his rope ladder broke and he fell back into the shallow water and got stuck in the mud. He had been rowing back from the shore after dropping off a friend who had helped him sail the boat round from Littlehampton. They had anchored in the harbour waiting for the tide before going into Thornham Marina.

With a rising tide he was unable to get back into his boat so used his mobile phone to call for help from the Coastguard. Both the Hayling Island inshore lifeboats, the Atlantic 85, Derrick Battle,  and the D Class lifeboat, Amanda, James & Ben, were launched just after 7pm in the fading light. Within 5 minutes both lifeboats were in the vicinity of the casualty who was still talking to Solent Coastguard on his mobile phone and could hear the lifeboats approaching. The voluntary lifeboat crew heard his cries and found him in the shallow, muddy water clinging to his boat.

The casualty, with existing health problems, had been in the water for around 30 minutes and was suffering from hypothermia. He was quickly taken by the Atlantic 85 lifeboat back to the lifeboat station where the RNLI’s local paramedic and shore crew cared for him until an ambulance arrived.

Meanwhile the crew in the D Class lifeboat retrieved the casualty’s personal belongings from his boat, including his medication and mobile phone.

The Atlantic 85 re-launched a short while later to tow the catamaran to Sparkes Marina where it was made safe. Andy Ferguson, Senior Helm said: 'The gentleman from Worthing was incredibly lucky that his mobile phone, which was not in a waterproof case, remained dry and workable when he fell into the water. There was no one around who would have heard his cries and with the tide rising he would have been in severe difficulty.'

The events, organised by Chichester District Council and sponsored by Natures Way Foods, took place on Sunday 19 July at Westgate Leisure Chichester.

The fastest male completed the Triathlon in 1.57hrs (Ian White) and the fastest female (Fay Cripps) completed the race in 2.13hrs. Daniel Bailey, who belongs to Chichester Westgate Triathlon Club and won a Silver medal at the European Championships in Holland a couple of weeks ago, won his age group (Juniors U20) and came third overall. Daniel joined Cllr John Ridd, Chairman of Chichester District Council, in presenting the prizes at the end of the day.

367 competitors took part in the Triathlon, which consisted of a 600m swim, 42k bike ride and 10k run. As well as many local athletes from the Chichester District, people travelled from Hampshire, Brighton, London and even Australia to take part. This was also the first year to include chip timing, which was a great addition to the race. It allowed athletes access to their overall time and split times for each part of the race, as soon as they crossed the finish line.

Cllr Nick Thomas, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Sport at Chichester District Council, said: "Both the Triathlon and Junior Aquathon were extremely well received. Both the competitors and spectators were extremely complementary, stating how well organised the events were and how helpful all of the marshals were. Thanks to all those who took part or supported the event. Without the 120 volunteers it wouldn't have been able to take place."

The Junior Aquathon took place after the Triathlon at 2.30pm. 155 children between the ages of 8-16yrs completed a swim and a run around Chichester Colleges front field.

Both the Triathlon and Aquathon were sponsored by Natures Way Foods, who provided fruit and salads at the finish line for competitors and spectators. Sarah Baldock, Head of Marketing, said: "Natures Way Foods would like to congratulate all the athletes and volunteers who took part at the weekend. Despite the windy conditions the event was a huge success and it has well and truly put Chichester on the Triathlon map."

Next years Triathlon and Junior Aquathon will take place on Sunday 18th July 2010. For more information, please contact the Community Sports Development Officer at Chichester District Council.

A number of cases of Human Swine Flu have now been reported within the UK. Chichester District Council wants to reassure residents that the Sussex Resilience Forum, of which the Council is a member, is closely monitoring the situation.

The Forum continues to assess the current situation, review contingency plans and identify resources across agencies that may be required if the virus reaches Sussex. Plans for such events have been in place for some time and these have been well practiced. The current outbreak is not a Pandemic, but we are taking all possible precautions to ensure the safety of the residents of Sussex.

All members of the public have a key role to play. Good personal hygiene practices are key and can help to reduce transmission of all viruses. This includes Swine Flu, which can last for several hours on a contaminated surface.

Key tips

• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue. Try and dispose of dirty tissues promptly and carefully. (See "Catch it, Bin it, Kill it"  campaign)
• Maintain good basic hygiene. For example wash your hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face or to other people. (See "Wet, Soap, Wash, Rinse, Dry" campaign)
• Clean hard surfaces (e.g. door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product
• Stay at home if you have any symptoms of flu
• Make sure your children follow this advice

Further health advice and information for the public can be found on the Health Protection agency Website, or see the Governments Swine Flu Information Leaflet, by clicking on the link to the right.

Key websites to refer to:

The Health Protection Agency is the government appointed body that is responsible for taking the lead on coordinating the national response. Their web site offers the latest information on the situation. The web address is www.hpa.org.uk

Other key websites are:

• Directgov (www.direct.gov.uk/swineflu) the primary government website for essential cross-government swine flu messages.
• NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk) the primary public-facing health information and advice service.
• The Department of Health website (www.dh.gov.uk) the home of content relating to health and care professionals.
• Business Link (www.businesslink.gov.uk/swineflu) the home of business-related information.
• Health and Safety Executive (www.hse.gov.uk) information for employers.