Royal Marine in cliff rescue of tourist

A Royal Marine from Shropshire has played a key role in a dramatic rescue after a tourist became stranded on a cliff on the Cornish coast.

Corporal Justin Morgan, 31, who is originally from Shrewsbury, was winched out of a search and rescue helicopter to help the victim after the tourist became stranded on a cliff after being caught out by the tide. It follows another recent rescue involving Corporal Morgan.

That saw him winched 100ft down to a severely injured fisherman on a small trawler being battered by gale force winds and 30ft waves.

The rescue of the tourist has been part of a busy period for the 771 Naval Air Squadron with the team also involved in saving three divers who had got into difficulties earlier this month.

Lieutenant Commander Andy Watts, head of the squadron, said: "The duty crew were conducting their regular daily training and had just arrived for some cliff winching at Land's End when Falmouth Coast Guard scrambled them to help three divers at Porthoustock Beach who had made a rapid ascent from 18m and had suspected bends.

"After refuelling at Culdrose, the helicopter landed at the beach, which had been cleared by the local Coast Guard team and the three divers were loaded into the aircraft.

"The Culdrose team conducted a speedy transit to the newly established Derriford hospital landing site and handed the divers over to an ambulance for them to undertake hypobaric chamber treatment."

The work of the team has been highlighted on a national level after it was featured on CBBC show Blue Peter last week.

Corporal Morgan was born in Shrewsbury and joined the Royal Marines in 2000, going on to serve on in Afghanistan on five occasions as an air crewman flying Sea King helicopters in support of coalition troops.

Corporal Morgan now serves as a medically trained air crewman with the 771 Naval Air Squadron.