A 20-YEAR-OLD woman was winched to safety by Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service after falling up to 20 metres down a cliff at Seal Rocks on Tuesday morning (Tuesday July 22).
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The woman, who is believed to be from the Byron Bay area, was found by local fisherman conscious but unable to move in a small rockpool at the bottom of a cliff around 10am.
Surf Life Saving director for the Lower North Coast Branch Julie Wilcox said life savers Kel McCredie and Brian Wilcox as well as experienced jetski operator Lennon Fisher, who has rescued seven people in the past two years, responded to the incident as well as emergency crews.
Mrs Wilcox said the lifesavers remained on the beach on standby until a Westpac Rescue Helicopter arrived about 11.20am where it hovered over the rock platform and winched the woman to safety.
Westpac Rescue Helicopter spokesperson Glen Ramplin said the woman was found at the northern end of Number One Beach at Seal Rocks.
“It’s not certain how she ended up there it appears she went for a walk and attempted to climb up some rocks and slipped,” Mr Ramplin said.
“She’s very lucky she landed right at the edge of a rock platform and in a small rock pool.
“She is believed to have fallen anywhere between 10 to 20 metres.”
The woman was stabilised before being flown to John Hunter Hospital with suspected spinal and leg injuries as well as several abrasions.
UPDATE: 11.20am: The woman has been picked up by helicopter and she is now safely off the rocks.
EARLIER: A RESCUE is underway for a woman who is believed to have fallen 30 metres down a cliff near Boat Beach at Seal Rocks.
Surf Life Saving director for the Lower North Coast Branch Julie Wilcox said life savers Kel McCredie, Lennon Fisher and Brian Wilcox are responding to the incident as well as emergency crews.
"Apparently a woman has fallen off a cliff near Boat Beach," she said.
"Kel, Lennon and Brian were alerted and called to the area and have taken a jet ski to assist.
"I am heading down there now myself. I saw an ambulance heading down that way but at this stage there is not much else to report."