A TEENAGE girl has been rescued by the Coastguard after getting trapped at the base of a 100 ft cliff at the north coast in Co Derry.
She was walking along the coast at Castlerock with another girl and two boys on Monday evening when a rapid tide came in.
The three others managed to swim to safety, but she became trapped by the tide and had to be lifted off the cliff by rope.
The two girls were taken to hospital as a precaution.
Coleraine and Ballycastle rescue teams, Portrush lifeboats and RNLI lifeguards from the beach at Castlerock were called.
Chris Little from the Coleraine Coastguard rescue team said it was a “major operation”.
The teenager is brought to safety by the coastguard teamHe said a rope technician had to be lowered 100 ft to lift the girl from her position at the base of the cliff. The girl was exhausted and was suffering from hypothermia. She was lifted to safety and reunited with her parents.
“The second girl had managed to swim ashore and she turned up at a member of the public’s door,” Mr Little said.
“She was given assistance and that person raised the alarm as well.
“We also located two teenage boys who had managed to make their own way across the rocks.
“The one casualty who was trapped at the base of the cliff was given immediate assistance by two members of the RNLI who went ashore but, unfortunately. she was too hypothermic and tired from having tried to swim to safety herself to be evacuated by sea.”
Mr Little said the two girls were taken to hospital as a precaution.
