Teen airlifted out after 'knee slide' leads to 'one in a million' accident on Brean Down clifftop

• The rescue on the clifftops.

A 15-year-old boy had to be airlifted off Brean Down after becoming injured on a school trip to the Somerset coast.

The Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team were called on Thursday 20 July after reports a boy had an injured leg on the clifftop.

In a statement, the rescue team said the boy told them he had hurt himself playing and "performing a knee slide" along the ground on the grass, before hitting what he thought was a rock.

It transpired his leg had actually collided with an old piece of angle iron, and his injuries required timely medical attention.

The helicopter was called for an extraction due to the isolated location and difficult terrain.

The coastguard team said: "A Helicopter Landing Site was set up so there was a clear and safe landing area for the helicopter and after the onboard paramedic had assessed and treated the young lad, the team stretcher carried him to the helicopter for a short flight to the field at the base of Brean Down where we then transferred him to a land ambulance for the onward journey to hospital.

"We wish him a speedy recovery after a very unlucky accident.

"After the incident we took a sledgehammer to the protruding angle iron and searched around for any others.

"The youngster had managed to find the only piece in that area which probably makes that a one in a million chance of it happening."

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