A PARAGLIDER was lucky to survive after crashing into a 365ft cliff.

The Humber Coastguard launched a rescue operation involving its Redcar and Skinningrove teams, the RAF, paramedics, police and fire crews.

A woman, who was at the cliff with her husband, a fellow paraglider, raised the alarm.

Neither of them knew the man, but the woman saw the accident and edged down the cliff to the casualty until help arrived.

He was on a narrow ledge still attached to his paraglider.

Paramedics arrived at 3pm followed by the RAF Sea King, scrambled from RAF Boulmer, about ten minutes later.

The man was winched to safety and taken to the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.

Eddie Dowson, station manager for the Redcar coastguards, said the man was only 6ft away from a 200ft drop onto the rocks.

He said: "We received a call saying that a paraglider had crashed on Huntcliff, in Saltburn. When we got there we found he had crashed in an area about 150ft to 200ft up and very close to a vertical drop.

"We made him as secure as we possibly could until the Sea King arrived.

"There was no way we could have taken him up in a land ambulance - not with his injuries and the terrain. I would imagine he would be suffering from some form of spinal injury because of the crash."

Mr Dowson said the man was conscious, but dazed and shocked.

It is not clear how the accident happened, but Mr Dowson said it could have been as a result of a mechanical failure or caused by the up-draughts from wind at the cliff face.

"The up-draught at the cliff can change quite dramatically and gliders can lose their lift and, as this chap did, crash into the cliff. It is not a good area for hang-gliders or paragliders," said Mr Dowson.

He issued some advice for those tempted to hang-glide or paraglide in the area.

"Basically don't do 7it," he said. "It can be very dangerous in that area. There are plenty of areas inland where you can do it much more safely.

"This man was very close to the vertical drop and he was very lucky he landed where he did. He would have crashed into the cliff face and ended up on the beach below, or the rocks and that vertical drop is 150ft minimum.

Whether it was intended or just luck, we will never know. But where he landed was probably the best place he could from his point of view and from our point of view."

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