Quick-thinking police officers use belts to save man clinging to side of 50ft cliff
Police officers saved a vulnerable man from falling to his death from the edge of a 50 foot cliff - after using their belts to create a makeshift hoist.
Officers rushed to a disused quarry off Pier Road in Northfleet, Kent at 6pm on Saturday, March 21 after receiving reports that a man intended to cause himself serious harm.
On arrival the constables, from the North Kent Local Policing Team, found the man hanging on to the side of a cliff with an estimated drop of 50 feet.
Three of the officers climbed to the top and assured him he would be brought to safety.
They then removed their belts and linked them together before one of the constables leaned over the cliff to lower it to the man while his colleagues anchored him.
The fourth officer stood at the bottom of the cliff, ready to provide immediate first aid if the man lost his grip and fell.
Their improvised hoist was enough to hold on to the man but was not strong enough to pull him to safety.
At this point, one of the attending officers ran to a nearby address and was able to obtain a piece of rope from a resident.
The man was pulled to safety before being handed to medical professionals.
In total the rescue took around five minutes to complete and Kent Fire and Rescue Service, who were called, provided a prompt response and arrived at the same moment the man had been brought to safety.
Our quick thinking officers turned their belts into an improvised hoist to rescue a man stranded on a cliff, with an estimated 50ft drop.
This footage was recorded on their body cameras.
The rescue took place in #Northfleet and you can read more here: https://t.co/ik7aUI4Sby pic.twitter.com/mHIX3TmSiN— Kent Police (UK) #StayHomeSaveLives (@kent_police) April 2, 2020
Kent Police’s district commander for north Kent, Chief Inspector Neil Loudon, said: “The outstanding work of these officers doubtlessly saved the life of a vulnerable man who was in serious danger.
“In what was a distressing situation, they remained calm and used their initiative to quickly stop an unpredictable incident turning into a tragic one.
“I am exceptionally proud of their work, they are a credit to Kent Police and the communities they serve.”
