Callout to Beachy Head

It was during a routine training exercise by Eastbourne Inshore Lifeboat on Sunday morning that shouts for help were heard.

The coastguard, Sussex Police, and ambulance service were quickly on the scene.

Bexhill coastguards then arrived to assist their colleagues who had already managed to secure the casualty.

The team then called in the Coastguard Rescue 104 helicopter to take the patient to Eastbourne DGH (pictured).

Fortunately the helicopter was already airborne having just finished another call.

On arriving at Beachy Head, the helicopter executed a precision manoeuvre to lift out the patient, aided by a coastguard rope rescue technician.

This incident followed an earlier one which involved a vehicle which had tumbled down another part of Beachy Head.

The connection between the two events is unclear accourding to Bexhill’s deputy station officer Gary Tidman.

He said: “ Incidents of this type at Beachy Head are often fatal.

“On this occasion, a ledge prevented descent to the bottom. It is easy to see that this story could have ended very differently.

“Any rescue in this environment is potentially very dangerous. We are very pleased that the outcome was a positive one.”

• If you see anyone in trouble along the coast or coastal cliffs, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.