Cliff fall at Pentreath beach: walker airlifted from the Lizard

A quiet Monday lunchtime on the Lizard turned into a major multi-agency rescue when a woman fell from the cliffs above Pentreath beach, leaving her with what crews described as serious injuries on the rocks below.

What happened

The call came in at 12.28pm on Monday 20 July, when the duty Launch Authority at The Lizard RNLI Lifeboat Station received a launch on service request. The launch was authorised, and at 12.43pm the relief Tamar class lifeboat RNLB Mollie Hunt put to sea under the command of duty Coxswain Andrew Putt and five crew.

The tasking was to head for Pentreath beach, just east of the station, following reports that a female walker had fallen from the cliff. At that point it was not clear whether she had come down onto rocks or into the water.

The lifeboat reached the scene at 12.53pm. Its smaller Y-boat was launched with two crew members aboard, who quickly found the casualty on rocks with what appeared to be serious injuries.

A crowded scene

Help was already converging from several directions. Rescue teams from Mullion Coastguard Rescue Team and Porthoustock Coastguard Rescue Team were in attendance, and Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 924 had also been tasked, arriving overhead at the same moment as the lifeboat. While Rescue 924 held station above, the Y-boat crew began casualty care for the injured woman.

At 12.55pm the Cornwall Air Ambulance arrived and was able to land safely on the beach a short time later, its medics taking over the woman’s care. With the air ambulance in place, Rescue 924 was stood down to return to base.

Airlifted to Plymouth

Once the casualty had been stabilised and made secure, the medical team from Heli-Med 99 moved her into the helicopter for an immediate flight to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. The Y-boat was then recovered onto the lifeboat, which had been standing by just offshore.

With every crew stood down, RNLB Mollie Hunt returned to Kilcobben Cove at 2.20pm. She was rehoused and made ready for service again by 2.45pm.

Andrew Putt and the station praised the response from all the emergency services involved, adding that their thoughts are with the casualty. There will be no further comment on the launch.

📷Photograph: Terry Thirlaway