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Man dies after Whitby cliff fall
A MAN has died after falling 100ft from a cliff top at Saltwick Bay on Monday night.
Whitby police, the coastguard, the town's inshore lifeboat and an RAF Sea King helicopter were called out to assist in a rescue attempt.
Police arrived on the scene just after 7.30pm after a member of the public reported seeing a man climb over a fence before he disappeared from view.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: "The search and rescue team, helicopter, coastguard and ambulance service were involved.
"We were there within three to four minutes and located the man at the bottom of the cliffs, 100ft down.
"He was airlifted to the top of the cliff by a helicopter and taken to hospital by ambulance."
Because the tide was coming in, Whitby lifeboat crew used the town's inshore lifeboat, OEM Stone II, to reach the casualty, who was caught in a cove in Saltwick Nab.
A spokesman for Whitby Lifeboat Station described how the crew could see a person on the edge of the water-line who looked in danger of being submerged.
A swimmer had to be dispatched from the boat in order to recover the casualty and waited by him until a Sea King helicopter from RAF Boulmer arrived, and both were winched by helicopter to the top of the cliffs.
There are also unconfirmed reports of another helicopter in the area at the time of the incident.
The man, who is believed to be 52 and from Houghton-le-Spring, was taken to Scarborough District Hospital.
It is not yet known how he fell from the cliff top.
Reports at the time also suggested that there was a missing girl to the east of Saltwick Nab.
But after a thorough search of the area, by a search and rescue team and the inshore lifeboat, and no reports of a missing person coming in the search was called off just after 9pm.
Humber Coastguard declined to comment on the rescue.
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Weather for Whitby
Saturday 19 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
