Dramatic rescue at Minster cliffs

The volunteer crew of the Sheerness RNLI inshore lifeboat launched at 9.57am on Saturday 8 September after a call from the UK Coastguard reported that a call had been received from Kent Police that a person had fallen down the cliffs at Minster in the area of Oak Lane and was injured.

The lifeboat was on the scene at 10.17 am but the crew were unable to make a visual contact with the casualty from the shore due to the height and dense undergrowth on the cliff face.

The Sheppey Coastguard Rescue Unit who attended the top of the cliffs were also unable to pinpoint the casualty and it was the crew of the Coastguard rescue helicopter 163, which had also been scrambled, who eventually located the 17-year-old youth in a gully some 20 to 30 feet down the 100-foot cliff.

A paramedic was lowered from the helicopter and two crew members from the lifeboat climbed up the cliff to assist him as it was believed the casualty had suspected spinal injuries. Whilst this was going on the helicopter left the scene and landed in a field close by.

Due to the suspected injuries the third member of the lifeboat crew was called to assist in lifting the casualty onto a stretcher which after anchoring the lifeboat and making the difficult climb he was able to do.

When the casualty was safely in the stretcher the helicopter returned to the scene at 11.48am and from there took the youth directly to the William Harvey hospital at Ashford.

The lifeboat crew were released at 11.53am and were back on station at 12.07pm

Wind WSW force 4

Ends

Media contacts:

Vic Booth RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer (Sheerness) 07926904453 / 01795 880544 [email protected]

Paul Dunt RNLI Press Officer S.E. [email protected] 07785296252

For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.