LOCAL knowledge saved the life of one Weymouth woman who is now passionate about backing the Echo’s campaign to keep a coastguard presence in the area.

Stella Roper, 33, was rescued by the coastguard cliff rescue team and navy helicopter when she was 14.

The teenager had been with a school party on a walk from Ringstead Bay to Lulworth Cove when her teacher fell and broke her leg in misty conditions.

While the group were waiting at White Nothe, Stella collapsed and stopped breathing.

Doctors later told her she suffered from hypothermia, exhaustion and dehydration.

A teacher from a Bournemouth school trip, Georgina Stevens, kept Stella warm and tried to revive her and keep her breathing until the coastguards arrived.

The naval helicopter, which was used before the coastguard helicopter, then airlifted the teacher and Stella to hospital.

She had to stay in overnight and was told to stay off school for two weeks.

Stella, who is a host on the MV Freedom boat, that takes disabled young people out on the water, said: “I believe local knowledge saved my life.

“I still think: ‘How did I survive that?’ The area we were at wasn’t close to the coastal path.

“Portland Coastguard knew exactly where we were and got the relevant people out to the scene.

“They knew which footpaths to use.

“They knew the lay of the land.

“If it’s up in Southampton or Portsmouth they will know where the rescue teams are and the local teams will know the lay of the land but the officers won’t necessarily know where they are.”

She added: “We need to keep them, they are needed. They do so much.

“I’m a local and it shows that it can happen to anyone at anytime.”

The coastguard have also saved her mum Eileen’s greyhound Zippy when he fell down a cliff in 2009.

He fell onto the beach beneath the Wyke Regis coastguard station and Wyke Regis coastguard rescue officers got him up and checked him over.

Eileen Roper said: “Why are they taking away the coastguard station after the Olympics?

“If we don’t need it, then why not take it away now?”

She added: “It was because of local knowledge that they found Stella and Zippy. That’s where it comes in.

“I think it’s pathetic to take it away.”