An ‘idiot’ walker triggered a large scale emergency and had be be rescued by a coastguard helicopter when he tried to scale 70ft up a cliff with his bare hands.
The man and a friend climbed up from the beach beauty spot at Stair Hole, near Lulworth Cove in Dorset, without any ropes or equipment on Saturday afternoon.
They only stopped 70ft (21m) up the muddy cliff when they realised it was too dangerous and they couldn’t climb any further.
A man and a friend climbed 70ft (21m) up a muddy cliff without ropes or equipment at Stair Hole near Lulworth Cove in Dorset on Saturday afternoon. Pictured: Attempted rope rescue
While one of the men was able to clamber back down, the other found himself in a seriously perilous position.
He was completely stuck, 70ft up on an extremely slippery and muddy slope, with no safe way of making it to the top or bottom of the cliff.
Emergency services were called before 2.15pm yesterday afternoon and it was quickly established that the safest option would be for the man to be winched off the cliff by helicopter.
The St Athan coastguard helicopter was training in North Devon and sent to the man’s aid.
Video footage of the rescue mission shows the man hanging on to the edge of the cliff in a loose and precarious position.
The clip shows him being secured and brought to safety by the coastguard helicopter.
While one of the men was able to clamber back down, the other found himself stuck on in a seriously perilous position with no safe way of making it to the top or bottom of the cliff
The incident happened at 2.15pm on Saturday, November 7, with several fire and rescue teams and coastguard teams attending.
When Lulworth Coastguard team arrived and assessed the scene they immediately called for support from a rescue helicopter.
While waiting for the helicopter to arrive, a rope rescue was attempted but due to the ‘extremely inaccessible location’ it was unsuccessful.
A winchman was lowered from the helicopter and he was able to secure the hapless climber with a harness and lift him to safety.
The man was embarrassed and suffering from the cold after being stuck on the cliff for more than an hour, but otherwise unharmed.
A spokesman for Lulworth Coastguard team said: ‘The man had climbed up from the beach at the western side of Stair Hole. He had stopped when he couldn’t climb any further, becoming stuck in a loose and precarious position high above the beach.
The St Athan coastguard helicopter was called at 2.15pm and sent to the man’s aid. Video footage of the rescue mission shows the man hanging on to the edge of the cliff in a loose and precarious position
‘Coastguard Rescue 187 (St Athan based) was training over Barnstable, North Devon, and was sent to scene.
‘While the aircraft was on passage, the fire and rescue teams set up a rope rescue at the top of Stair Hole.
‘Due to the extremely inaccessible location of the gentleman, the attempt was unsuccessful. Rescue 187 arrived on scene shortly after.
‘The helicopter managed to carefully manoeuvre their winchman to firstly traverse and then come from below the casualty, securing him in a harness.
‘The pair were flown a short distance to a safe location, the paramedic then assessed the man for injuries.
‘Thankfully, other than being a little cold and visibly shocked, the man was none the worse off for his ordeal.’
A winchman was lowered from the helicopter and he was able to secure the hapless climber with a harness and lift him to safety
When details of the rescue were shared online, the rogue climber was slammed for his irresponsible actions and the cost of the huge emergency response.
Jules Foote said: ‘I thought this lockdown meant we could only make essential journeys? What a waste of resources and unnecessary risk.’
Wendi Schofield said: ‘Well done to you all. It makes me furious when irresponsible people do dangerous things like this without knowing what they’re doing.’
Stuart Matthews added: ‘Lockdown invites idiots out to waste emergency services time and money.’
The man was embarrassed and suffering from the cold after being stuck on the cliff for more than an hour, but otherwise unharmed. One person commenting on the footage online said: ‘Lockdown invites idiots out to waste emergency services time and money’
Laura Bushnell said: ‘What a complete waste of time and resources at this time! Selfish.’
Carol Ross said: ‘Very irresponsible, all the emergency services especially the winch person risking their lives. Glad he’s ok, he should get a bill for this and maybe it will teach others not to do this.’
A spokesman for Wareham Fire Station said: ‘Luckily they were rescued without injury but with emergency services already under pressure, these types of multi-agency incidents take up a lot of resources.
‘Please take care during lockdown and help emergency services by giving these types of activities a miss.’