Elie Chain Walk: Woman in Fife rescued after 20m fall from popular coastal path

A woman has been rescued after she fell 20 feet down a cliff.

The Anstruther RNLI inshore lifeboat launched at 4.15pm on Wednesday after the woman fell from the Elie Chain Walk in Fife.

She had injured both ankles and it was decided the safest way to move her was by lifeboat.

The RNLI took her to neighbouring Shell Bay and she was handed over to waiting paramedic and Coastguard teams.

It was the crew's first call-out during the coronavirus pandemic.

Volunteer helm Barry Gourlay said: "This was our first call-out in over ten weeks but that did not show.

"We train to a high standard and that training helped ensure we were able to execute this rescue swiftly and safely."

The RNLI said that May is an important month for the charity as its annual fundraising campaign Mayday takes place.

However during the pandemic conventional fundraising is not possible, although the charity's on-call status has not changed.

Mr Gourlay said: "Throughout this pandemic, the volunteers at Anstruther join 237 other lifeboat stations who remain ready to respond if requested.

"We thank our supporters and ask that you stick by us during this challenging time so we can continue to save lives at sea."

Additional reporting by the Press Association