Cliff jumper recovers in hospital

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/dorset/6943930.stm

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A man saved by holidaymakers when he ended up unconscious on the seabed after "tombstoning" from Durdle Door rock into the sea remains in hospital.

The man, 26, climbed up the Durdle Door rock in Dorset and egged on by three friends jumped off the 65ft cliff.

The friends fled the scene on Saturday afternoon but a holidaymaker swam out to the man and got him into a dinghy.

Police said the man remained in hospital, but his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.

A doctor on the beach stabilised the man, who is from Weymouth, before emergency services arrived and he was airlifted to hospital in a coastguard helicopter.

It is very likely these two members of the public saved this lad's life Portland Coastguard

A Portland Coastguard spokesman said: "Seemingly egged-on by two other lads and a female - all of whom ran away from the scene - he jumped off from above the arch, disappeared below the surface and didn't resurface.

"A member of the public saw the jumper unconscious and fitting [having a fit] on the sea bed and dived down and pulled the casualty to the surface.

"Members of the public managed to get the injured man onto an inflatable dinghy and drag it out of the water, keeping him lying down flat, and fortunately there was a doctor on the beach who was able to attend immediately.

He was airlifted into coastguard helicopter and flown to Dorchester

"It is very likely these two members of the public saved this lad's life."

Ros Evans, watch manager at Portland Coastguard said: "This behaviour is plain stupid. Young men are dying pointlessly and getting seriously injured every summer in a bid to impress their friends.

"Rescue services and the families of casualties deal with the consequences.

"This young man jumped from the top of the precarious cliff arch of Durdle Door from a height of at least 20m, so an injury was almost inevitable."