A WOMAN was rescued by helicopter after falling off her horse and becoming stranded on the West Sands near St Andrews last night.

She was thrown from her horse while out with another rider.

An ambulance crew were alerted and went out to assist the woman, who is believed to have broken her leg.

While the paramedics were with the woman the tide closed in on the group and they became stranded.

The ambulance service then alerted police and the coastguard.

A helicopter from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland was helping police in the Glenrothes area to help track down a missing person and was on the scene in minutes. Two lifeboats from Broughty Ferry were also called out.

Shortly after 9 pm the woman and paramedics were lifted to safety. She was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where her condition is not believed to be life-threatening.

Coastguard watch officer Michael Coull said people can get caught out by the tide at the mouth of the River Eden.

He said, “The tide goes out quite far and there is quite a lot of sand exposed.

“She was some distance out. It took some time for the paramedics to get to her and while there they got cut off by the tide. The sands themselves are not particularly dangerous but when the tide is out it goes out quite far. It’s tempting for people to go far out.”