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

Crews at the scene after cliff fallCrews at the scene after cliff fall
Crews at the scene after cliff fall
A multi-agency rescue operation was launched last night after a man fell from a cliff path in Portstewart.

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

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"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."

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."

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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.

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

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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.

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

"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.

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