Pensioner trapped after falling from cliff is rescued after spending 17 hours in cave

A pensioner was rescued yesterday after being compelled to spend the night time in a cave when she plunged off a cliff.

The alarm was raised after the 69-year-old did not return from a stroll alongside a rugged cliff on Saturday afternoon.

Fearing she had fallen into the ocean, two lifeboats have been scrambled at first mild yesterday morning.

Sally could be seen perching on a rock together with her coat pulled tightly round her to attempt to hold heat

Dramatic video reveals the second one of many boats discovered the grandmother, recognized solely as Sally, perched on a rock waving desperately for assist. Sporting a inexperienced parka, gray scarf, ripped leggings and strolling boots, she was hauled aboard and instructed her rescuers: 'Thanks very a lot. I'm very chilly.'

Confused and exhibiting the early levels of hypothermia, she was sped again to the RNLI base 5 miles away in Minehead, north Devon, the place she had an emotional reunion together with her husband and son, who had reported her lacking.

She had been strolling at 4pm on Saturday close to her house in Porlock alongside the treacherous path at Hurlstone Level, which walkers are suggested to keep away from throughout unhealthy climate, when she fell 10ft down the steep cliff and banged her head. 

The 69-year-old is rescued by the RNLI. She had fallen 10ft after which was unable to scramble again up the cliff

She instructed rescuers she was very chilly after they discovered her, and one of many RNLI members mentioned she was most likely saved from hypothermia by her thick coat

When nobody handed by on the trail above, and discovering herself unable to climb up, she realised that because the night time drew in her finest probability of survival was to take shelter within the cave on the base of the cliff. She spent 17 hours there earlier than her rescue at 9.30am yesterday.

Following her ordeal, she was handled by paramedics and was final night time recovering at house.

Remarkably, other than the graze on her head she was unharmed, and rescuers imagine her thick coat saved her from hypothermia.

Phil Sanderson, senior helmsman with RNLI Minehead, instructed the Mail: 'She appeared to have bumped her head after falling from the rugged coastal path when it was beginning to get darkish. She ended up in a cave that goes from one facet of the cliff to the opposite.

'Once we discovered her, she was very, very chilly and a bit confused.

'She appeared actually drained. It will definitely have been troublesome for her to sleep, however fortunately for her the seas have been fairly nonetheless final night time and the temperatures have been pretty gentle.'

Fellow RNLI helmsman Andrew Escort mentioned: 'She was getting in direction of hypothermia, and I'm very shocked she hadn't succumbed to it. I feel it's as a result of she had a thick parka on with a hood – that's what saved her.'

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