‘They should have roped it off’: Ainsley Harriott reveals he’s considering legal action after he saved his sister from drowning in a water feature at the Chelsea Flower Show

Ainsley Harriott has revealed his family is considering legal action after he saved his sister from drowning when she fell into a water feature at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The chef, 65, insisted the area ‘should have been roped off’ and noted Health and Safety at the event ‘wasn’t particularly great.’

Onlookers previously described how Ainsley rushed to rescue his sibling Jacqueline when she tripped and fell into the feature at the show in May, with paramedics taking her to hospital after she ‘coughed up a lot of water.’

Dramatic: Ainsley Harriott has revealed his family is considering legal action after he saved his sister from drowning when she fell into a water feature at the Chelsea Flower Show

Speaking to The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden at the TRIC Awards on Wednesday, Ainsley said: ‘The Health and Safety was not particularly great.

‘They should have roped it [the show pond] off. It was about 6ft deep — quite a drop once you hit the water.’

An RHS spokesman says: ‘We take Health and Safety very seriously. Throughout the remainder of the show we made the decision to close off the garden to visitors.’

Scary: The chef insisted the area ‘should have been roped off’ after his sister Jacqueline fell into the water feature while attending the outdoor event in May

Speaking out: Ainsley (pictured with his sister Jacqueline in 2019) said: ”They should have roped it [the show pond] off. It was about 6ft deep — quite a drop once you hit the water’

Ainsley, who later confirmed his sister was ‘doing fine,’ was seen checking on her with other passers-by as she lay on the ground next to the garden pond feature in the grounds of Chelsea Hospital. 

Ainsley’s sister, a retired teacher and the chef’s guest at the VIP launch, ingested a large amount of water and had to be pulled out of the narrow water feature at the Our Green Planet and RHS Bee Garden exhibit.

Paramedics arrived shortly after Jacqueline was pulled from the water, with Ainsley later tweeting that she was ‘doing fine’.

Worrying: Ainsley, who later confirmed his sister was ‘doing fine,’ was seen checking on her with other passers-by as she lay on the ground next to the garden pond feature

‘Just a big thank you to everyone who helped my sister when she had a fall at the Chelsea Flower Show this morning. She’s doing fine and all is well,’ the TV star tweeted.

A Chelsea Flower Show spokesman told MailOnline: ‘We are investigating an incident that occurred on a garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show today.

‘The guest was quickly attended to by on site medical professionals and we are pleased to say is now home and well.’

One guest told The Sun: ‘The garden was packed with lots of people and I think the woman must have fallen into the pond or tripped over and ended up in the water. 

‘I think she nearly drowned. She was pulled out by Ainsley Harriott and some other celebrities before they laid her down on the floor. She was coughing up lots of water.’ 

Scary: Ainsley’s sister, a retired teacher and the chef’s guest at the VIP launch, ingested a large amount of water and had to be pulled out of the narrow water feature

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