AN INJURED angler had to be rescued by helicopter during an early morning drama at St Andrews yesterday.

The 35-year-old holidaymaker, who is not being named, was one of two men fishing in the sea when he slipped and fell heavily.

The man, who sustained a serious ankle injury, was unable to move and his colleague used his mobile phone to contact the emergency services.

Forth District Coastguard officers from the 24-hour maritime rescue centre in Crail were alerted at around 3.45am, and scrambled the Broughty Ferry lifeboat and the Angus RNLI inshore lifeboat.

The lifeguards were called to attend the scene, where they joined a rescue team from St Andrews coastguard, local police officers and paramedics.

Paramedics treated the injured man at the scene.

However, because of the difficult access involved, it was decided to request the assistance of a Sea King helicopter from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland.

The injured man was winched to safety and airlifted to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where he was treated for a suspected broken ankle.

A coastguard spokesman said, “The two men were fishing from the rocks some distance off the shoreline.

“It was eventually decided that, because of the terrain, it would prove to be too difficult to carry the injured man by stretcher and a rescue helicopter was required.”

The rescue effort took almost two hours.

While the slow incoming tide was a factor at one stage, the operation was completed in time.