Coastguards rap climbing accident team

CLIMBING instructors caught up in an air rescue at Torquay — in which two colleagues were injured — have been criticised for not alerting the authorities about their high-risk activity.

Two casualties — one aged 42 and the other in his 20s — were airlifted by the coastguard helicopter after injuring themselves in separate falls on cliffs above Long Quarry Point, near Anstey's Cove, on Monday afternoon.

The party of five were considering locations for climbing activities by an Exeter-based adventure group when the 42-year-old slipped and broke his lower left leg.

Two partners jumped down to help him and one of them fell and dislocated his knee which was 'popped' back in before the emergency services arrived on scene.

Roger Davies, Brixham Coastguards' watch manager, said: "Unfortunately we did not know this group was on the rocks at the time in such a precarious position and in cold weather.

"Our advice is to keep the coastguards informed at all times if carrying out such exercises. Fortunately our rescue units were very promptly on scene."

Both casualties remained on a rock platform while two others from the group swam across the Bay to Ansteys Cove to raise the alarm on a mobile phone.

Coastguards scrambled the service's rescue helicopter from Portland and the Torbay Coastguard Rescue Team were also sent to the area.

The helicopter crew winched both casualties from the cliff together with an uninjured colleague with all three ferried to Torquay Boys' Grammar School's landing site where an ambulance was waiting to take them to Torbay Hospital.