A MAN was airlifted to hospital with serious leg injuries after falling from a crumbling cliff top and becoming trapped underneath a rock.

Emergency services were called to St Alban’s Head near Worth Matravers in Purbeck at 7.27pm on Friday following reports that the man had tumbled 300 feet.

Paramedics, firefighters and police officers rushed to the scene, along with a specialist rescue team from Poole, to discover the man lying below the cliff path.

His leg had been pinned by a fallen rock, and the Coastguard helicopter was called to help in a daring rescue as stormy weather closed in.

A spokesperson from the Coastguard said: “Coastguard rescue teams are trained and equipped to undertake rope rescues but Friday’s rescue of a faller near St Albans Head was a little unusual.

“The gentleman involved was 300 feet below the coastal path in an inaccessible area.

“While walking with a friend some way down from the top of the cliff, the ground gave way under him and he was pinned with a rock.

“Fortunately, his friend was able to make a 999 call to emergency services on a mobile.

“When St Albans and Swanage Coastguard Rescue Teams arrived on scene, they were joined by other rescue specialists from Dorset Fire and Rescue and the South Western Ambulance Service.

“The Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Solent was needed to winch the rescuers down to the casualty, as well as Dorset Fire and Rescue’s hydraulic lifting equipment.

“Ten rescue personnel were taken down to the casualty during the operation to extract the man.

“The Coastguard Rescue Helicopter returned to winch the casualty and their winch man up and the casualty was transferred to Dorchester County Hospital.

“After the casualty was quickly transferred to hospital there were nine people down the cliff and a significant amount of equipment to be lifted to safety.

“The weather was changing and a lightning storm hit the area.

“Two of the Coastguard Rescue Team members made their way up to the top with ropes and the Coastguard rescue helicopter from Solent was used to bring the other people back up along with the equipment by 11.20pm.”

Writing on the Swanage Coastguard blog, the team said: "As a volunteer Coastguard sometimes you wonder why you do it.

"It's dark and four hours into a rescue, you're standing on the top of a sheer 100m cliff with two cliff techs on the rescue line and a thunderstorm rolls in. The rain is torrential. The helicopter is standing off alongside, waiting to assist. Do we stop and run for cover, or do we risk getting hit by lightning and continue to prosecute the rescue?

"There is a flash of lighting and an immediate thunder clap and the whole of Weymouth Bay and Portland are lit up in a purply white light for the briefest of moments.  

"In that split second you get to see 20 Coastguards absolutely unphased, and the silhouette of our cliff top safety officer Roger Patrick - steadfast - watching out for the safety of the cliff techs below. 

"That mental image is the reward. The teams work through and successfully complete the rescue."