Bude Coastguard Rescue Team was paged on Sunday (January 17) and tasked by Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre (CGOC) to Rusey Cliffs, a short distance south of Crackington Haven, to assist Devon and Cornwall Police in the search for a missing man.

Boscastle Coastguard Team and Bude Lifeboat were also tasked, while members of Bude Community First Responders were already on scene.

Having arrived at the RV point, all rescue officers from Bude and Boscastle teams were preparing for a full search briefing by police officers just as the casualty was spotted in scrub near the base of High Cliff.

Quickly relocating to a position with the casualty in view, a team was immediately dispatched to assist the police officers who had made their way into the valley and through the scrub to reach the seriously injured casualty.

Meanwhile, as teams awaited confirmation of the availability of a coastguard rescue helicopter, two rope rescue technicians donned harnesses in anticipation of a possible cliff rescue, should it be necessary.

With coastguard rescue helicopter Rescue 924 scrambled from Newquay to assist with the incident, police and rescue officers made the casualty comfortable whilst awaiting the aircraft. Meanwhile, rescue officers at the top of the cliff formed a Helicopter Landing Site (HLS) in anticipation of Rescue 924 needing to land on the clifftop.

Once overhead, Rescue 924’s winch operator quickly lowered a winch paramedic down to the casualty and responders’ position to assess the casualty’s condition. Whilst awaiting a report from the winch paramedic, Rescue 924 landed in the designated HLS to preserve fuel.

Requiring further equipment from the helicopter to assist with the safe extraction of the casualty, Rescue 924 returned to the scene. Meanwhile, as a land ambulance and a doctor with BASICS Devon arrived by road, the Cornwall Air Ambulance arrived overhead, having also been sent to the scene.

Once the second helicopter had safely landed in the HLS, air ambulance paramedics made their way to liaise with the Coastguard Officer in charge to see how they could also be of assistance. At the same time, Rescue 924 returned from the scene of the incident and again landed in the HLS to await confirmation from the winch paramedic that the casualty was packaged and ready for winch extraction.

At this point, with enough emergency assets in place Cornwall Air Ambulance departed the scene. Shortly after, Rescue 924 took off and returned to the casualty’s position and, once having winched up the rescue equipment, then safely recovered the casualty and the winch paramedic. From there, the casualty was flown directly to Derriford Hospital.

With all team members, police officers and paramedics accounted for, a quick debrief was held at the scene, before all teams were stood down.