AN ELDERLY man was airlifted to hospital after collapsing on a beach in Clevedon on Sunday morning.

The Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) received a call at 11.44am after the man, thought to be in his 70s, collapsed on the sands at Ladye Bay while collecting pebbles with his wife.

An emergency care practitioner (ECP), an ambulance crew and a unit from the GWAS Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) were quickly on the scene, but due to the difficulties of lifting him up the approximately 100 steps, an air ambulance was requested.

As the Great Western Air Ambulance was already at another incident, a search and rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor was dispatched, and landed on the beach before flying the man to Frenchay Hospital.

ECP Sarah Davies said: “The patient was reported as being dizzy and fainting. He was awake again when I arrived, but quickly had a repeat episode, while his blood pressure was low.

“Although he is diabetic, this appeared more of a cardiac event, so our concern was to get him off the beach and into hospital as quickly as possible.”