By Alexis Smith

A 31-YEAR-OLD woman was airlifted to hospital yesterday after falling 60 feet from cliffs in Arbroath.

Emergency services rushed to the scene after being alerted by a passer-by who saw the woman had fallen on to rocks just north of the Ness.

Police Inspector Bob Gordon and community liaison officer Wendy Forbes said there were a number of people walking along the cliffs at the time of the incident. PC Forbes said, “There were foreign students speaking to her when we arrived and they were there until the lifeboat came.”

Arbroath lifeboat mechanic Allan Russell said the lifeboat had been alerted by Forth Coastguard at 1.45 pm. Both Arbroath lifeboats were launched and the new inshore boat, the Duncan Ferguson, was able to reach the casualty with a paramedic on board.

Mr Russell, who was on board the inshore boat with fellow crew Dave Stewart and Paul Castle, said the woman was conscious and remained semi-conscious throughout the rescue.

“We transferred her from the inshore boat to the bigger boat and they then took her into the harbour,” he said.

The woman was then transferred to a waiting ambulance which took her the short distance to Beacon Green, where a Sea King helicopter from RAF Kinloss was waiting to take her to Ninewells Hospital. A police spokesman said the woman had suffered head and possible spinal injuries.