AMBULANCE bosses have warned that ‘seconds cost lives’ after chaotic parking near a Dorset beauty spot meant paramedics had to race on foot to reach a man who was having a heart attack.

The 82-year-old was later airlifted from Durdle Door to Dorset County Hospital but he later died.

There is no suggestion the man’s death could have been prevented if paramedics had got to him sooner but South Western Ambulance Service issued a warning to motorists following the incident.

The man who died was among more than 3,000 people attending a unique light show at iconic Durdle Door on Thursday evening. The UNESCO World Heritage Site landmark was lit up in spectacular fashion by artists from the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) to mark the International Year of Light.

The event attracted a huge crowd – despite organisers later saying it was not intended to be a public show and it was not something they thought people wanted to see.

Medics were alerted to an elderly man who had collapsed on the coast path about 7.40pm, after the light show had ended and people were starting to make their way home.

He was given CPR by a first responder and off-duty medical staff who were at the scene but a road ambulance had difficulty getting there. Police attended to try to clear the way.

Crews arrived and assessed the man before it was decided to airlift him to hospital.

South Western Ambulance Service Trust issued a plea to drivers to remember that ‘seconds cost lives’.

A spokesman said: “A vehicle causing an obstruction meant that crews had to abandon their vehicle and continue to a casualty on foot. Fortunately in this instance a first responder was already providing treatment to the patient.”

Trust director of operations Neil Le Chevalier added: “Parking inappropriately can lead to delays in our crews getting to an incident. In an emergency situation, where seconds really can make a huge difference to the outcome for our patients, it is vital that we are able to get there as quickly as possible. I would urge the public when parking vehicles in narrow roads to have a look around and think about whether there would be enough space for an emergency vehicle to get through.”

Landowners the Weld Estate said despite there being parking available, visitors parked along both sides of a minor road.

Despite press releases being issued to local media before the event explaining what was happening, the Society of Light and Lighting said yesterday it never invited the public to attend.

A statement said: “Having not invited people to come, the degree of local interest caught everyone by surprise: we simply did not anticipate that a lighting designer, experimenting with projecting light onto the coast, would be an event that people wanted to view.”

The statement added: “The concept clearly caught the imagination of the local media, who started actively to promote it as something people might like to come and see.”

James Weld, chairman of the Weld Estate, which owns the land around Durdle Door, said organisers had promoted the event, despite the licence being granted on the understanding that it would not be publicised.

He added: “This resulted in irresponsible parking by visitors along both sides of a minor public road, causing unprecedented traffic congestion and preventing traffic flow, despite there being space in the car park.”

The issue of parking along double yellow lines in the area has been ongoing for a number of years, he added, and a ‘full review’ will now be carried out.