Man killed and woman injured in cliff tragedy
Jan 10 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal
A SEASIDE tragedy which left a man dead and a woman seriously injured at the bottom of 60ft-high cliffs on the Northumberland coastline remained a mystery last night as police investigations continued.
The 41-year-old man was killed and the 33-year-old woman taken to hospital with serious chest and leg injuries after they plunged down the cliff face at Old Hartley in Seaton Sluice, near Blyth, early yesterday.
It is believed the injured woman used a mobile phone to contact police and tell them she had fallen down the cliff at about 2am, but didn’t know exactly where she was.
A search was launched involving the Northumbria Police helicopter and she was found on the rocky beach at the foot of the cliff, with the body of the man lying nearby.
A post-mortem examination was carried out yesterday which confirmed the cause of the man’s death as multiple injuries, consistent with a fall. And the woman was undergoing surgery in hospital, where she remains today.
Last night, police were trying to establish why the pair – who are both from the Blyth area – were on the dangerous clifftop in total darkness in the middle of a night when gale-force winds were buffeting the region’s coastline.
The search was launched after concerns were raised about the welfare of the woman, with police officers helped by the fire and ambulance services, the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade and the Cullercoats inshore lifeboat crew in dealing with the two casualties.
The injured woman was taken to North Tyneside General Hospital and police cordoned off the area, including taping off a silver car parked in a car park at the top of the cliff, near the Delaval Arms pub in Old Hartley. Officers from the Northumbria Police marine unit were at the scene.
Yesterday a Humber coastguard spokesman said: “The police took the original call and we believe a person had phoned them saying they had fallen down to the bottom of the cliff and didn’t know where they were. The police helicopter did a run along the shore and located the two casualties. We sent out the local life brigade and the Cullercoats lifeboat to assist in recovering them and both casualties were brought back up the cliff.”
Last night Susan Dungworth, who lives in Old Hartley and represents the area on Blyth Valley Council, said she was surprised, shocked and saddened to hear about the incident. “A lot of people walk along the path at the top of these cliffs but it is fenced off and there are signs warning that the cliffs are dangerous. People walk along there from Blyth to Whitley Bay and there is a cycle track and path. It is only dangerous if people get on the wrong side of the fence.
“Several years ago someone drove a car off that same spot, which they concluded was suicide. It was a very wild night last night and I would not have thought people would be down there.”
Steve Jackson, 59, who lives in a caravan at the nearby Old Hartley Caravan Club site, said: “I heard the police helicopter at about 3am this morning. I had been asleep about an hour because the wind was so strong and I was being shaken about. It’s never been as strong as this.”
