Boy rescued after clinging to cliff edge
Isle of Man CoastguardA boy was rescued by emergency service crews after he was found clinging to a gorse bush on a cliff edge above a 39ft (12m) drop.
The incident happened on the coast of Laxey Bay at about 14:00 BST on Monday, the Isle of Man Coastguard said.
They were alerted by their team in the Marine Operations Centre at the Sea Terminal, saying "he was in danger of falling, but managing to hold on to a gorse bush above a12m drop".
Firefighters also attended and a ladder was used to rescue the boy and take him to safety. The Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service has been approached for comment.
The Coastguard Duty Officer and Douglas Coastguard rescue team were also called out to the incident and arrived at the scene 14 minutes later.
They said there was a lack of immediate access from above and so they alerted the crew from Laxey fire station, who attended the call-out with a ladder.
This was deemed to be the quickest and safest option, "given the time critical nature of the incident", they added.
"In the meantime, Coastguard personnel placed various items at the bottom of the cliff that would provide a cushion in case the boy slipped from the position he was in," the spokesperson said.
A firefighter then went up the ladder to bring the boy down to safety.
"Our thanks to the Laxey fire crew and Douglas Coastguard Team for their quick, professional response and the excellent teamwork to safely resolve the incident together," they added.
'Incredible' rescue operation
Bev Clegg, who owns nearby cafe The Shed with her husband, said it was a relief to know that the boy had been safely rescued.
She said it was a busy day on the beach and the boy was stuck on a cliff just to the side of the main beach area.
Clegg said her son was one of the retained firefighters from Laxey who attended the incident, and she gave them all free ice cream afterwards to thank them for what they did.
"It was incredible - especially to see them all working together," she added.
"The community in Laxey is just brilliant - we are such a small village and everybody knows everybody."
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