Missing camper airlifted to hospital after cliff fall

A major emergency response was launched after a visitor to Wales slipped and fell from cliffs on the Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd. The person had been reported missing from the nearby Porth Iago campsite where they were staying.

Coastguards from Aberdaron were first at the scene and were joined by other Coastguard teams from the region. Given the isolated location, a Wales Air Ambulance was called from St Athan, near Cardiff. The incident took place at Dyllborth, a small rocky cove surrounded by steep cliffs and grass-covered rocks.

Whilst the Wales Coast Path passes close by, few visitors explore the cove itself except climbers who value its "short, punchy routes". 

Most visitors either park or camp at Porth Iago Campsite, which sits next to a beach previously crowned Britain's "best hidden beach" by the Sunday Times. The campsite operates throughout the year for motorhomes, campervans and campers with roof tents.

At approximately 7.30pm on Saturday, 10 January, the alarm was sounded when a guest didn't return after heading out for a walk. Once found, he was winched up to the clifftop before being airlifted to the major trauma unit at Royal Stoke University Hospital, 

A witness, who did not want to be named, was struck by the speed and scale of the emergency response However, he expressed concerns regarding the wait time for an air ambulance.

"The Aberdaron Coastguards arrived in a matter of minutes," he said. "Other local Coastguard teams soon joined them and they were roped down to the casualty.

"The air ambulance crew did a great job but they didn't arrive until almost 11pm as they had to fly all the way up from Cardiff. This incident highlights the concerns some people have about the plans to close air ambulance bases in Gwynedd and Powys."