Trapped paraglider plucked from cliff face in dramatic rescue

Coastguards have released footage showing the moment a stricken paraglider was plucked from a cliff face.

The man was blown into the cliff face at Chapel Porth on the north Cornish coast on Saturday.

He was unable to go up or down and remained trapped on the cliff until a member of the public called 999.

Rescue teams were unable to retrieve the man due to his precarious position halfway up the steep cliff.

The HM Coastguard helicopter based at Newquay was called, and the man was winched to safety.

Colin Smith, maritime operations manager, said: "This rescue was tricky.

"Although thankfully unhurt, our trapped paraglider could go neither up nor down and his fabric wing constituted an extra hazard, especially in the downdraft from the helicopter.

"One of our team members had to pack it away to get it out of the way of the rescue operation."

Julian Williams, helicopter winchman, added: "This was a great bit of teamwork.

"Because of the cliff and the precarious nature of the loose rocks, the Coastguard rescue team couldn't bring the paraglider up easily.

"We were eventually able to winch him off the cliff safely."