Major rescue after car 'goes over cliff' in Torquay
Emergency services at the scene
A major rescue was launched after a car left a road and rolled down a cliff near a beach in Torquay.
The fire service said the vehicle landed in trees above Meadfoot Beach on Thursday morning (24 June).
When rescuers arrived, the woman inside had managed to get out and was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital.Emergency services were alerted just after 10am that a car had gone off the edge of St Mark's Road at Wellswood.
The response team included lifeboats, the coastguard and the Devon Air Ambulance, as well as police, firefighters and paramedics.
The fire service sent two crews and a specialist rescue vehicle.
A spokesperson said: "Upon arrival it was established that the female occupant of the vehicle was free from the vehicle.
"She was being attended to by paramedics on scene. "
A coastguard spokesperson confirmed that a black SUV had gone over the cliff at the end of St Mark's Road.
“We don’t know what’s happened but the car has obviously gone over the cliff and has come to a halt about 25 metres down.
“It’s a steep cliff but not sheer with a lot of small trees, bushes and undergrowth.
“When we arrived fire, police, ambulance and paramedics were at the scene.
“Fortunately the casualty had got herself out of the vehicle and was being treated at the bottom by the beach huts by a South West Ambulance crew.
“Our role was to maintain the area safely. A cliff technician was deployed to check the area just in case anybody else was involved.
"That was a negative search and we have handed over to the police and Torbay Council. “
Police closed the roads while the rescue operation took place and cordoned off access to the rear of the beach huts at Meadfoot Beach.
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