A MAN was rescued by the coastguard after being left dangling from a 400ft sheer cliff face on Monday morning.

A MAN was rescued by the coastguard after being left dangling from a 400ft sheer cliff face on Monday morning.

The 21-year-old's parachute snagged on rocks while he was base jumping at Beer Head, near Sidmouth, leaving him clinging to rocks and facing a 200ft drop.

A rescue helicopter and coastguard were called to the scene after a fellow jumper dialled 999 at around 7.45am.

Beer Coastguard Rescue Team lowered a winchman down the cliff to the casualty and said the man, from Hertfordshire, was trapped around 61metres down the cliff and was eventually lowered uninjured to the beach below before being airlifted back to the top of Beer Head.

Maddy Davey, Portland Coastguard watch officer, said: "The man was very fortunate that there were other solo jumpers in the vicinity and that they were able to raise the alarm.

"The operation to rescue this man was carried out with superb skill and professionalism by the Beer Coastguard Rescue Team who lowered their cliff man 200 ft down a sheer and crumbly cliff face to rescue the man who was lucky enough to have found foot and hand holds on the cliff."

Base jumping involves leaping from high fixed objects, with a parachute. The jumper is believed to have been blown into the cliff face by a gust of wind.

Ms Davey said in March 1996 an almost identical incident at Beer Head left a base jumper who crashed into the cliff face with serious injuries.