At least 1 person is feared to be trapped underneath a cliff fall between Shanklin and Luccombe this evening (Saturday).
2 Coastguard Rescue Teams from Bembridge and Ventnor, Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 175 from Lee-on-Solent and Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat are all on scene at Shanklin Esplanade.
Several appliances from the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service are also in attendance including crews from Sandown, Shanklin, Newport and Ryde.
The Isle of Wight Ambulance Service has also sent an ambulance crew and duty officer to the incident.
WATCH: Cliff falling at Shanklin ahead of the emergency service’s arrival
UPDATE @ 17:54 – A family of 2 adults, 3 children and a dog have been brought to safety by Sandown lifeboat, alongside a second family consisting of an adult and 2 children.
It has been confirmed that initially 9 people were reported to be in the vicinity of the fall. The 2 families, who were situated beyond the cliff fall towards Luccombe, have been transferred back to the Esplanade to circumnavigate the danger zone.
It is understood at least 1 other person is currently unaccounted for.
UPDATE @ 18:30 – Search and Rescue resources are now starting to stand down from the search.
HM Coastguard believe that everyone is now accounted for with no persons reported missing.
Coastguard Rescue 175 has stood down, as has Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat. Firefighters from the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service are returning to station but 1 crew from Sandown remain in attendance.
UPDATE @ 18:45 – A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary has said:
“We’re currently supporting our emergency service colleagues from the coastguard and fire service following a substantial cliff collapse at the southern end of Shanklin beach.
“As a result of the collapse, access to the beach from Luccombe Bay is not safe for the public.
“If you are out on your daily exercise please AVOID this area at all costs.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding.
UPDATE @ 19:20 – All resources have now stood down from the incident.
David Hurden, Senior Maritime Operations Officer for HM Coastguard, has said:
“There is nothing to suggest these two separate groups were breaking lockdown rules. They were socially distancing from each other on a walk near to their homes.
“We’re thankful that no-one has been injured in the incident and that people did the right thing by calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard”.
Station Officer James Potter of Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team has given Island Echo an update at the scene…
https://www.facebook.com/IslandEcho/videos/215259749764379/
That is awful bad luck to happen just when walking there. I was going to go there to look for fossils now glad I didn’t. Why 175 helicopters ? Seems a little excessive.
Hope they are OK or another ‘false alarm’ but if cliff fell from great height, not much hope I would assume.
If ONLY the advise to stay in had lasted another day, then this individual may still be alive.
Life is cruel, and this proves CV is not the ONLY game in town.
Are you really as stupid as you make out.
1. You should stay away from the cliffs full stop as there are often cliff fallsthat happen in a split second.
2. There wasnt 175 helicopters you idiot, that is the call sign for ONE of the coastguard helicopters.
3. Read the update properly, no persons were killed in this incident but all parties were extremely lucky on this occassion and serves a purpose in informing others like yourself planning that walk along the beach.
I am glad both families escaped uninjured but very shaken by the episode.
STAY AWAY FROM CLIFFS
STAY SAFE
Oh dear. This isn’t near the cliff fall that took place on 07th April is it? The place where people were warned not to go near.
I thought we were warned to keep away from that particular area due to recent cliff fall!!
why were the families on the beach??
I wonder if these people are islanders or people over here on holiday? We are all warned not to walk too close to the cliffs. With the rain we had on Friday they should have known better. Glad they and the dog are ok. Hope the unaccounted person is rescued and all is well.
Let’s. Hope they are OK, and we’re social distancing…..
Were
Well done to all the services involved
Well that was a justified use of the emergency service.
Self isolating were they?
The only blameless one was the dog!
No they weren’t self isolating, they probably didn’t have any symptoms so why should they, another idiot spouting crap
Surely who said someone was missing, would have known,??? Good Headline though
And I guess they were all two metres apart !!
thems is luky theys not 2 yards wide.
We get it , writing in a stereotypical farmers accent
Well published reports have already been made by Island Echo that this aria is dangerous, so why have the authorities continued allowing the public to venture into the area???..
It has been proved beyond doubt over the last few weeks that some people generally or deliberately ignore warnings.
We have been warned not to venture onto that area of the beach between Shanklin n Ludcome because there have been huge falls there in recent months… They had a young child with them…All because they didn’t heed the advice given by Island Echo in recent editions thank God nobody was hurt
“All because they didn’t heed the advice given by Island Echo”
Perhaps they don’t ‘read’ Island Echo.
Not everyone does
Ban walking……..selfish people…..
Perhaps you want to ban walking anywhere. They might live in a block of flats with no outside space.
Do you not understand sarcasm?
Idiot
Well done emergency services. This is not an unexpected incident though, cliff fall happened on 8 April. One would assume there were warning signs put up after that initial scare? Seems to be a lot of people in that small area of beach.