The lucky walker was dropped off and allowed to ‘go on his way’ after plummeting 60 metres from the top of Haven Cliffs near Sidmouth, in Devon, and onto a naturalist beach below
A lucky walker who plummeted more than 200 ft onto a nudist beach walked away from the distressing experience with nothing more than a stern talking to.
The unnamed man was walking atop the Haven Cliffs near Sidmouth, in Devon, when he plummeted more than 200 feet onto a nearby beach. He raised the alarm soon after by shouting for help, with a massive emergency response including police, a lifeboat and rescue helicopter being scrambled to his aid. But he was found miraculously unscathed on a beach popular with naturalists known for its unsettled geography, and speedily airlifted from the area.
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The man was spoken to by police after he had been lifted to safety, with a spokesperson for the Beer Coastguard Rescue Team saying he was then “allowed to go on his way” when he was rescued, with his calls for help having been heard by local kayakers.
He had fallen on a recent large landslide which had carved an indent on the cliff face three months ago, and was dropped off back on top of the ledge where he had fallen.
The spokesperson said: “We were tasked to a person fallen 60 metres from cliff top onto the recent landslide below Axecliff golf course. Sidmouth lifeboat gave directions for us to get directly above the casualty and coastguard teams set up a rope rescue system while the helicopter was en route in case they could not recover the casualty from the air.
“Thankfully the helicopter was able to recover the uninjured man to the clifftop. He was spoken to by the police and taken to Lyme Regis and allowed to go on his way.”
A Lyme Regis coastguard spokesperson said emergency services were called when kayakers raised the alarm, having heard his calls for help. They said: “Coastguard teams from Lyme Regis and Beer were tasked following reports from two kayakers who, while east of the Axmouth estuary, heard cries for help from the adjacent cliffs.
“The kayakers’ prompt and appropriate action in contacting HM Coastguard initiated a multi-agency response to assess the reported distress.
“Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat, undergoing training exercises nearby, was immediately redeployed to the kayakers’ position. Their crew successfully confirmed the source of concern and commenced a sea-based shoreline search of the area. Following a brief but effective search, Sidmouth Lifeboat guided the Beer and Lyme Regis rope rescue teams to the precise cliff-top location, around 60 meters above the casualties location.
“While a rope rescue system was prepared for deployment, the inherent instability of the cliffs and the associated risk of further rockfalls necessitated a re-evaluation of the extraction method to ensure optimal safety.”
“As a precaution coastguard helicopter Rescue 187 was dispatched to the scene. The helicopter crew performed a delicate winch operation, safely recovering the casualty from the cliff face and transferring them into the aircraft. This incident underscores the effectiveness of inter-agency cooperation in complex rescue scenarios.”
Locals were stunned the man was uninjured, with Daisy Atkin telling Jam Press someone was “looking out for him”. She said: “Uninjured after a 60 metre fall. Someone is looking out for him.”
Fiona Gripton said: “We are lucky to have all these people putting their lives at risk to help others. Well done and thank you.” And Susan Gardner added: “Well done, always there when needed.” The area is a hotspot for erosion and cliff falls. In March, another walker was seen sitting beneath the perilous cliff just moments after thousands of rocks plunged onto the beach.
Local coastguard organisations have warned people to avoid the area.