Emergency services launched a major rescue operation at a historic Kent landmark after a man suffered a serious fall from height.
Emergency Response at Historic Landmark
On Thursday, January 15, at approximately 8.40am, a multi-agency emergency response was triggered at Rochester Castle in Castle Hill. The incident was reported to Kent Police at 9.33am as a medical emergency, prompting a significant deployment of resources.
Three fire engines from Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) attended the scene, alongside the service's technical rescue and line rescue unit. Crews worked in coordination with Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) paramedics from the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) to reach and rescue the casualty.
Details of the Incident and Injuries
The casualty was a man in his 50s who had fallen from a height within the castle grounds. First responders treated him at the scene for significant injuries.
A spokesman for SECAmb confirmed: "Multiple crews attended the scene and assessed and treated a man in his 50s for injuries, including to his chest, femur, and ankle before taking him to King’s College Hospital by road for further medical treatment."
Following initial treatment, the man was transported by road to the major trauma centre at King’s College Hospital in London.
History of the Castle Site
The incident occurred at a site steeped in nearly a millennium of history. Rochester Castle, built in stone in the 1080s, is one of the earliest such fortresses in England. Its great keep, constructed under the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1127, remains a masterpiece of medieval architecture and the tallest of its kind surviving in Europe.
The castle famously endured three sieges, including a brutal assault by King John in 1215 which destroyed one corner of the keep. Although it fell into ruin in the 17th century, it remains a powerful symbol of medieval secular authority and a popular tourist attraction in the Medway town.
Police have indicated the incident is being treated as a medical matter, with no further details released about the circumstances leading to the fall.
