Ainsley Harriott saves woman from drowning after falling into water feature at Chelsea Flower Show
Ainsley Harriott came to the rescue of a woman who fell into a body of water on day one of the Chelsea Flower Show in London on Monday.
The TV chef, 65, saved the woman from drowning according to onlookers after she tripped and fell in the water.
Ainsley was seen checking in on the visitor with other passers-by as she lay on the ground next to the garden pond in the grounds of Chelsea Hospital.
Heroes: Ainsley Harriott came to the rescue of a woman who fell into a body of water on day one of the Chelsea Flower Show in London on Monday
A group, which also included DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles, had admired the BBC show garden on Monday morning when the crash happened.
The woman ingested a large amount of water and had to be removed from the narrow body of water by celebrities at the Our Green Planet and RHS Bee Garden exhibition.
Paramedics arrived shortly after she was pulled from the water and taken to hospital, but the woman’s condition is not yet known.
A guest told The Sun: ‘The garden was full of people and I think the woman must have fallen into the pond or tripped and ended up in the water.’
Incident: The TV chef saved the woman from drowning according to onlookers after she tripped and fell in the water as others, including Nick Knowles, looked on.
I think she almost drowned. She was pulled out by Ainsley Harriott and a few other celebrities before they laid her on the floor. She was spitting up a lot of water.
Nick Knowles was seen watching Ainsley help the woman, after he was pictured arriving at the event with his girlfriend Katie Dadzie.
Matt Peskett, an RHS volunteer who saw the accident, told The Telegraph he was due to show visitors around the garden when it opens to the public on Tuesday, but now authorities have put up barriers which could limit the visits.
Mr Peskett explained: “There were 30 or 40 celebrities there and they were all drinking champagne. And then, all of a sudden, one of the guests backed up and fell in. They fell in, not just a foot.
“I hope they don’t keep it like that tomorrow – that would be a shame.”
Autumn: Ainsley was seen checking in on the visitor with other passers-by as she lay on the ground next to the garden pond in the grounds of Chelsea Hospital
Representatives of Ainsley and the Chelsea Flower Show have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
The Chelsea Flower Show returned to its traditional May slot with wildlife-focused gardens, wellness and floral displays to mark the Platinum Jubilee.
On Monday, celebrities and members of the royal family get their first glimpse of the Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship event, before it opens to the public.
The exhibit features Meta Gardens about plants and fungi in woodland ecosystems, an exhibit on Notting Hill which features a deforested mangrove sculpture highlighting global deforestation and racial injustice and a block of ice highlighting global warming.
Tripped: The woman ingested a large amount of water and had to be removed from the cramped water feature by celebrities who were on BBC screen
Medical attention: Paramedics arrived shortly after she was pulled from the water, but the woman’s condition is not yet known
The Mind Garden focuses on connecting with others for mental health and St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots Garden focuses on a program to help people recover from homelessness through gardening.
A floral display with the Queen’s profile in Platinum Jubilee Purple marks her 70-year reign.
It is lined on both sides with an assortment of native British tree branches with connected interior shelves arranged with 70 terracotta pots planted with lily of the valley, one of the Monarch’s favorite plants.
Another installation aims to transport visitors to one of the Queen’s favorite spots, with a canopy of flowers including fresh delphiniums, mimicking the colors and planting of the Scottish landscape near the royal family’s Balmoral Castle estate in Aberdeenshire.
The Chelsea Flower Show is back in its May slot for the first time since 2019, having been canceled in 2020 and moved to September for 2021 due to the pandemic.
Celebrity guest: Ainsley was pictured earlier arriving at the event, which hosted a press and celebrity preview on Monday before it opened to the public
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