Man airlifted from coast after falling 10-15ft onto rocks at Seaton Sluice

The coastguard helicopter was used to winch the patient from his location. Credit: Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade

A man suffered serious injuries after falling between 10 and 15 feet onto rocks at the beach.

The man, who is in his 60s, was at Seaton Sluice, in Northumberland, when he fell at about 10:30am on Tuesday 15 August.

The Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, Blyth Coastguard and North East Ambulance Service were involved in the rescue operation.

The ambulance service deployed its hazardous area response team to the scene and two of paramedics worked to treat and stabilise the casualty, with assistance from the two coastal rescue teams.

Due to the location, it was decided the safest extraction option was by air and the coastguard rescue helicopter was dispatched from Humberside Airport.

Once on scene the helicopter winched the casualty onboard, before flying him to a nearby football pitch, where the rescue teams were again on hand to assist in the transfer to an ambulance.

The casualty was taken to a nearby football pitch before being taking taken to hospital for further treatment. Credit: Tynemouth Volunteer Rescue Brigade

A TVLB spokesperson said: "The man was then taken to hospital for further assessment and treatment, and we wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries.

"The location and injuries sustained by the casualty made this a challenging call but our close working relationship with the ambulance service and our flank rescue team at Blyth helped us reach a successful outcome.

"The incident also attracted large crowds and we’d like to thank everyone for following our directions and keeping a safe distance from the scene – the helicopter creates a very strong downdraft which can easily blow you over."

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