Porthoustock coastguard team feature on TV show

On Sunday More4 saw Porthoustock Coastguard Rescue Team in 'Emergency Rescue: Air, Land & Sea.'

The show followed the team working together with the Newquay search and rescue helicopter crew to help a man who got stuck in dense gorse.

The man decided to climb the cliff as a short cut to escape an incoming tide, the gorse gradually got thicker and denser to the point where he was completely stuck.

Rob Farr, Senior Coastal Operations Officer, was at another incident nearby when the call for help came in.

Rob said:

"I was with Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team at an ordnance incident a few miles away, it was all under control so myself and a member of the Falmouth team headed over to the cliff incident.

"That stretch of the cliff is well known to us, people often get caught out by the tide, attempt to climb to the top and more often than not get into difficulty.

"When I arrived the Porthoustock Coastguard Rescue Team were already on scene. Andy, a coastguard rescue officer, was attempting to crawl through the gorse to the man but it proved just too dense. The back-up plan was to call the helicopter for help and thankfully they were able to lift the man out of the gorse.

"Sometimes one little decision can have a massive impact on your day. The man was very lucky that he only came away with a few cuts and bruises from the gorse, it could have been a lot worse."

The coastguard issued the following advice for those thinking of walking along the coast, a spokesperson said:

"If you're heading out for a walk along the coast, check the weather and tides before you head out. Take a fully charged mobile phone and tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.

"And remember don't attempt to climb a cliff as a short cut to the top!