Walker rescued after all-night ordeal

The woman was reported to have not returned home on Saturday evening after setting out to walk the South West Coast path from Minehead to Porlock.

A search was carried out by a coastguard helicopter and shore teams but they failed to locate her.

At first light this morning Minehead’s RNLI lifeboats were launched to join the operation and within minutes crews spotted the woman on rocks at Hurlestone Point.

She was taken off by Minehead’s D class lifeboat and transferred to the station’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat, before being taken back to Minehead and checked over by the station’s Local Operations Manager Dr John Higgie.

He said the woman, who lives in Porlock, was cold but otherwise none the worse for her all-night ordeal.

“She is an experienced walker and often uses this section of the coast path,” he said.

“Unfortunately just as it was getting dark last night she slipped and fell a few feet, but she decided to do the sensible thing and stay where she was and wait for help to come.”

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