Boy falls down 80ft Cornish coastal blowhole Published duration 16 June 2018

image copyright Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team image caption It is believed the 16-year-old had been celebrating the end of exams with friends

A 16-year-old boy was rescued after falling down an 80ft (24m) blowhole in Cornwall.

Rescuers were lowered into the hole at Trevone, near Padstow at about 01:00 BST and the boy was airlifted to hospital.

Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team said it was a "complex cliff rescue". The teenager's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The rescue team said it was thought he had been celebrating the end of exams.

image copyright Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team image caption Coastguards have described the cliff rescue as "complex"

There have been calls in the past for safety signs and fencing near the blowholes on Cornwall's north coast after a 56-year-old man fell over the edge of one in April.

A blowhole is a vertical fault in a cliff that is widened after exposure to strong waves - creating water pressure that can escape up through the hole.

The best-known blowhole at Trevone is the Round Hole, which is formed by a collapsed sea cave and can be seen on a sloping field above the east side of the beach.

image caption The Round Hole at Trevone is north Cornwall's best-known blowhole

Coastguards initially thought this was the location of the emergency, but they discovered it was actually in between Harlyn and Trevone across the bay.

Trevone Bay is a site of special scientific interest and lies within the Cornwall area of outstanding natural beauty.

Padstow Coastguard has reminded people to "stay away from cliff edges" and for people to "call 999 immediately" if they see someone in danger.

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