Walker left hanging by fingertips after fall

A walker was left hanging by his fingertips over a 150ft drop after slipping on cliffs.

The 54-year-old was walking in St Abbs in Berwickshire yesterday when he fell down a ravine, sparking a major rescue operation.

Forth Coastguard received a call at around 4.50pm to say the man was hanging by his fingertips after falling 20ft.

He feared he would drop a further 150ft, rescuers said.

A specialist team took to the cliffs and managed to attach a line to the walker who was then pulled to safety.

Eyemouth and Dunbar Coastguard, a lifeboat team from St Abbs and officers from Lothian and Borders Police attended the scene.

A helicopter was also scrambled from HMS Gannet in Prestwick.

The SOS call was made by the man's walking partner.

A spokesman for the Forth Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre said: "The man slipped down the ravine by the Lighthouse at St Abbs, and was hanging on by his fingertips.

"The coastguard on scene managed to secure a line to him and take him back to the top of the cliff where he was checked over by paramedics and was given the all-clear after recovering from his ordeal."

The coastguard urged people to keep back from cliff edges on coastal walks, warning that they could be unstable.