Lifeboats, coastguards and other emergency services combined to rescue a man injured in a cliff fall yesterday.

Looe RNLI’s inshore lifeboats were launched within six minutes on Saturday afternoon to reports of a person stuck on cliffs to the east of Downderry.

In a multi-agency rescue the injured man was winched down to the beach below.

As a Coastguard helicopter was unable to land on this beach, the casualty was taken by inshore lifeboat to Seaton beach where coastguard teams cleared the area for the helicopter to land and then take the casualty to hospital.

Many of Looe RNLI’s volunteer crew were getting ready on Looe seafront for Saturday afternoon’s sailing when their plans were interrupted by pagers sounding at 1.46pm.

With a quick dash to the lifeboat station next door, both of the charity’s inshore lifeboats launched within six minutes and headed across Looe bay.

Looe, Tamar and Plymouth Mountbatten Coastguard teams also responded along with the HM Coastguard helicopter based in Newquay.

The lifeboat crews spotted the casualty 40ft up the cliff.

In a difficult winching operation due to overhanging rocks and an area of loose soil caused by a recent land slip, the casualty was lowered to the beach below.

A Looe Lifeboat spokesman said: ’When you are on the coast always carry a mobile phone, check the tide times and tell someone where you are going and what time you expect to return.

’If you get cut off by the tide do not take any risks by attempting to climb the cliffs.’

Atlantic 85 crew: David Jackman (helm), Brian Bowdler, Ben Crabb and Dale Staff.

D Class crew: Matthew Jaycock, Richard Porter and Robert Deakin.