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Would-be sheep rescuer ends up stranded on cliffs

Russel Wills A rugged part of the Dumfries and Galloway coastline with cliffs descending towards the sea and a small island in the distanceRussel Wills
Coastguard and RNLI crews were called out to Balcary Point on Sunday

A livestock owner who tried to rescue two of her sheep which had got stuck on cliffs in south-west Scotland had to be airlifted to safety after getting stranded herself.

The incident happened at Balcary Point near Auchencairn in Dumfries and Galloway at about 14:30 on Sunday.

Stranraer, Portpatrick, Ballantrae, Portling, Isle of Whithorn and Kirkcudbright coastguard teams were called out as well as a helicopter and Kippford RNLI.

The woman was winched to a place of safety on the clifftop unharmed and the rescue teams stood down. The fate of the sheep remains unclear.

Kippford RNLI A lifeboat with three crew on board is towed to shore by a small blue tractor coming out of shallow waters on the Solway coastKippford RNLI
It was a first callout of the year for Kippford RNLI

Stewart Bryden, senior coastal operations officer with HM Coastguard, said the woman - who was local to the area - thought she would be able to rescue the animals herself.

"She went to see if she could bring two sheep back up," he said.

However, in the process she ended getting stranded herself and rescue services were called out.

"If your dog or sheep gets stuck on the coast don't try and attempt the rescue yourself," added Mr Bryden.

It was the first callout of the year for Kippford RNLI which said initial reports were that someone had fallen from the cliff.

"It was soon established that the person was uninjured but unable to move up or down from their position," it said in a statement.

The rescue was complicated with sea swells of up to three metres (10ft) making access to the base of the cliff "tricky".

However, the lifeboat crew was able to speak to the stranded woman and provide reassurance that help was on its way.

"Rescue Helicopter 936 arrived on scene and was able to winch the casualty from their position to a place of safety on the clifftop," said the Kippford RNLI statement

"Thankfully they were unharmed and able to speak to the coastguard teams on scene."

The crews were then able to return to their respective stations.

Mitch Panteli, Kippford RNLI Helm, said: "This was a great example of how different search and rescue agencies work together for a successful outcome.

"We train regularly with our neighbouring coastguard team and it was great that we could provide backup and reassurance during this incident whilst the coastguard team carried out the rescue."