A WOMAN was airlifted to hospital after slipping down cliffs near Start Point following an attempt to rescue her dog.

A member of the public called 999 at 10.30am on Thursday, June 16 to report that two people were in need of assistance from the Coastguard, following an attempt to rescue a dog near Start Point Lighthouse.

The Coastguard oversaw the search and rescue, which involved the Coastguard helicopter from Portland along with two Coastguard rescue teams from Prawle Point and Dartmouth, Salcombe RNLI inshore lifeboat, the South Western Ambulance Service, Devon and Cornwall Police and the Devon and Somerset Fire Service.

The coastguard winched a woman off the cliff face, and she was then transferred to hospital in Exeter with a suspected broken hip.

The Coastguard Rescue Team then used specialist rope equipment to rescue the other person and the dog from the cliffs.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: ‘The female casualty was airlifted from the cliff face by rescue helicopter and transferred to hospital.

‘The main person was walked off the cliff face by coastguard and his dog was rescued by coastguard line rescue, both were uninjured.

‘Fire service personnel assisted the coastguard with the rescue and gave casualty care.’

A spokewoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: ‘The weather conditions were horrendous, but everybody worked together really well, despite the conditions.’