Girl 'serious' after cliff fall

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A teenage girl is in hospital with serious back injuries after falling down a cliff as she tried to reach her stranded friend.

The 14-year-old is believed to have fallen about 70ft as she tried to scale the cliffs at Muchalls, near Aberdeen.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said she had gone to help her friend, also 14, who had become stuck as she climbed up the rock face.

The stranded girl called police on her mobile at about 2000 BST on Monday.

Spinal injuries

Aberdeen and Portlethen coastguard rescue teams were called to the scene and a helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth was scrambled.

Paramedics attended to the girl at the bottom of the cliff, while coastguards helped her friend down.

Both teenagers were airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

An MCA spokeswoman said the girl who fell was thought to have sustained "serious" spinal injuries.

She was attended to by ambulance staff for about 15 minutes before being winched to the helicopter.

Her friend was said to be uninjured but in shock and was taken to hospital as a precaution.