A cliff fall at a West Country beach sparked a heavy emergency services response over fears people were trapped. A section of the cliff gave way on East Beach in West Bay on Sunday evening (May 21) and led to a major 999 response.
Firefighters along with Dorset Police, ambulance crews and West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team who were told by members of the public that there may have been people along the beach below the cliffs at the time of the fall, reports Devon Live.
Emergency services were unable to access the rock fall area due to the high tide and unstable cliffs, but a resident was able to use his drone to survey the area from a distance. CCTV was also analysed while witnesses who saw the cliff fall confirmed no one was near the cliff when it fell.
READ MORE: Urgent 999 appeal for missing teenager, 17, from Almondsbury
Crews were eventually stood down from the incident without locating anyone. Its believed the rumbling cliff rocks were caused by torrential rain on Friday (May 19) and tourists are advised to stay away from the area.
Police and coastguard have cordoned off the beach and the coast path between West Bay and Freshwater. A spokesman for Dorset Council said: "After the torrential rain on Friday, our cliffs are more unstable than usual. If you’re out on the coast, stay away from the base of cliffs or the top edge if you’re walking along the coast path. Rock falls can happen at any time with no warning."
A spokesman for Bridport Fire Station said: "Bridport, Dorchester Fire Station and tech rescue from Weymouth Fire Station were all mobilised to a rock fall at East Beach West Bay. Crews were met by Dorset Police and West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team who advised that members of the public believed there may have been people along the beach below the cliffs at the time of the fall.
"South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust were also made aware and sent one land ambulance and Hazardous Area Response Team. Due to the high tide and the unstable cliffs access to the cliff fall was not possible.
"A local resident made themselves available with a drone and this was utilised to search the area around the rock fall with nothing found. Further members of the public who were at sea also made themselves known and stated they had seen the rock fall and were pretty certain there wasn’t anyone on the beach during the collapse.
"The Environment Agency were contacted and CCTV footage was requested from the camera located on East Pier. They confirmed that, in their opinion, no persons were on the beach below the cliffs or on the footpath just before or during the collapse.
"With this information and no reports of anybody missing the decision was made to stand down from the incident."
Read next:
