Man 'lucky to be alive' after surviving 10-metre fall from cliff edge on New Year's Day

A man is “lucky to be alive” after slipping and falling 10 metres (40ft) from a cliff edge on New Year’s Day.

The unnamed man sustained head and facial injuries when he fell from a coastal path between Polzeath and Rock in Cornwall on 1 January, 2020.

He had been walking with a group of friends and is said to have lost his footing. He also suffered a suspected broken wrist and damage to both shoulders.

The Polzeath Coastguard responded to an emergency call, saying the man was “lucky to have been alert and responsive”.

The injured man was then stretchered from the scene and airlifted to hospital.

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A post on the coastguard team’s official Facebook page read: “He had sustained a number of facial injuries along with a suspected broken wrist and damage to both shoulders but was lucky to have been alert and responsive.

“We packaged him into our stretcher and kept him warm until the arrival of rescue 924.

“A HLS [helicopter landing site] was established on Daymer beach and after a detailed handover he was taken to Derriford hospital for further treatment.

“He was very lucky after a fall from that height to only sustain minimal injuries and that the tide was out. We wish him a speedy recovery and all the best for 2020.”