Facebook User Glued To Phone Walks Off Pier

A young tourist in Australia was so engrossed in Facebook on her mobile phone that she walked off the end of a pier and had to be rescued by police.

The woman was on St Kilda's pier in Melbourne when she was spotted falling into the chilly water of St Kilda's Bay by passers-by who called the police.

Officers at the shore were able to point out the position of the distressed woman to water police units who rescued her about 20 metres (66ft) from the pier.

When they got to her, she was still holding the phone in her hand, police said.

Senior Constable Dean Kelly told The Age newspaper: ''She wasn't splashing around too much. She wasn't in a panic even though she was in the water for probably 20 minutes."

The woman had a backpack on, which may have helped her to stay afloat, he said.

''She wasn't a good swimmer but she was floating OK ... on her back."

He added: ''She had a mobile phone in one of her hands and when we brought her onboard one of the first things she did was apologise and say sorry."

It has been reported the woman was Taiwanese and in her mid-20s.

She was taken to hospital for a check-up after the accident on Monday.

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