Moment waves crash into hiker stranded on Cornish cliffside

  • Moment coastguard helicopter winches stranded hiker to safety

A hiker had to be winched to safety by a paramedic after becoming stranded on the edge of a cliff in Cornwall.

Dramatic footage has been released showing the moment the walker - a woman in her 20s - and a paramedic were battered by huge waves during the rescue mission.

Newquay RNLI launched a boat at around 4.30pm on Sunday 21 March after the woman called 999 to say she had become trapped by the rising tide.

The RNLI's lifeboat crews found the woman "stranded 10 feet up the cliff face with a two metre swell hitting the rocks".

Due to the large waves, it was deemed safest for the woman to be evacuated by a paramedic using the HM Coastguard helicopter's winch.

The dramatic video shows the paramedic and the stranded woman being battered by large waves. Credit: Heidi Westbrook.

In the video, the paramedic can be seen being soaked by large waves as they put the woman into the harness before the pair are winched up before landing safely on the nearby beach.

RNLI volunteer deputy launching authority Wayne Martin said: "This was a good response and teamwork from all of the emergency crews involved.

"If you're walking the shoreline, please check tide times, watch your exit points and if you get into difficulties, call 999 and ask for the coastguard."