Man falls 30 ft from cliff at NI beauty spot - multi-agency rescue operation launched

A multi-agency rescue operation was launched last night after a man fell from a cliff path in Portstewart.
By Gemma Murray
Published 11th Jun 2020, 08:11 BST
Updated 11th Jun 2020, 11:00 BST
Crews at the scene after cliff fallCrews at the scene after cliff fall
Crews at the scene after cliff fall

An RNLI spokesman said: "On arrival on scene it was established that a young male had fallen approximately 30 feet onto rocks near Portnahapple.

"Dr Colm Watters, volunteer lifeboat crew member and consultant at Causeway Hospital Emergency department, was transferred from the all-weather lifeboat to the smaller inshore lifeboat and then ashore to assist the coastguard with the treatment of the casualty and their transferral to ambulance."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Keith Gilmore, lifeboat operations manager at Portrush RNLI, said: "We had the opportunity to do some training with our Coastguard colleagues last year and this has paid off in terms of our joint working procedures.

NIAS at the scene in PortstewartNIAS at the scene in Portstewart
NIAS at the scene in Portstewart

"We are fortunate to have a volunteer with Colm’s expertise on crew and this was invaluable in this incident. We wish the casualty well and hope he has a speedy recovery."

A Coleraine Coastguard spokesperson said: "Coleraine and Ballycastle Coastguard teams were tasked to reports of a person fallen from a cliff at Portstewart.

"Casualty had sustained lower leg injury. With assistance from Portrush RNLI, the casualty was extracted using coastguard water rescue equipment and handed into care of NIAS.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"The PSNI helped to keep back the large crowd of onlookers who were gathering. Great teamwork by all the emergency services."

Crews at the scene in PortstewartCrews at the scene in Portstewart
Crews at the scene in Portstewart

A PSNI spokesman added: "At around 8.30 pm on Wednesday evening, police received a report that a man had fallen from a cliff path near Port Na Happle, Portstewart.

Officers attended and closed part of the path to help facilitate our colleagues in the NIAS and Coastguard who rescued the male, who was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries.

A statement from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said: "The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 20:13 PM on Wednesday, 10 June 2020 following reports of an incident at Port Na Happle,

Strand Road, Portstewart.

Crews at the scene in PortstewartCrews at the scene in Portstewart
Crews at the scene in Portstewart
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"NIAS despatched one Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), one Rapid Response Paramedic and one Emergency Crew to the scene.

"Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one patient was

transported by Ambulance to the Causeway hospita"l.

_______

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor

Related topics:RNLICasualty