THE partner of a man who was plucked to safety from the foot of a 240ft cliff in a daring rescue has praised emergency crews for saving his life.

Rescuers put their own lives on the line braving gale-force winds, driving rain and swirling seas in total darkness to save walker Brian Noel.

In what coastguards are calling "their most difficult operation in years", Mr Noel was winched to safety from the base of the huge cliff by coastguards in treacherous conditions.

Mr Noel had become stranded between Whipsiderry and Watergate beaches on Friday evening after being cut off by the tide – and hit by waves of freezing water, washing him onto the rocks.

And this week his partner, Jackie Margarson, praised the efforts of the emergency workers for coming to his aid.

Visiting

"I want to thank the coastguards and the emergency workers for doing such a wonderful job," she said.

The couple, visiting Miss Margarson's family in St Columb Minor, were visiting for the weekend from their home in Brighton.

They had been for lunch in Watergate Bay and Mr Noel had opted to walk back along the foreshore to Whipsiderry.

"Brian called me to tell me that he couldn't quite get to the steps off the beach because the tide had cut him off and he was quickly going to go back to Watergate Bay," explained Jackie.

"He called me again to say he was nearly where we'd agreed to meet, but I couldn't see him. He thought he was only a few minutes away, but he wasn't.

"I called again and he said he had been cut off trying to get around the headland. He was then hit by the waves, washing him onto the rocks, which rendered his mobile phone useless.

"As darkness then began to fall, I knew he was out of his depth and I called the coastguard. It was really quite scary for him."

The tough conditions and quickly fading light proved a major obstacle for emergency crews.

The Royal Navy 193 helicopter was called to the scene, working alongside Newquay and Padstow RNLI lifeboats, and the Newquay and St Merryn cliff rescue teams. Using a thermal imaging camera, the helicopter crew spotted the man at the foot of the cliff face.

However, with high winds and ferocious seas, the lifeboat crews couldn't get close enough and the helicopter's winch wasn't long enough to perform the rescue, forcing cliff rescue teams to face the challenge in the darkness.

Dave Bulley, station officer for the Newquay Cliff Rescue Team, said: "It is one of the most difficult operations we have faced for a long time."

He continued: "We discussed the situation with others and the opinion was that the man may not survive the incoming tide; it was a life and death situation."

Darren Keal, from the Newquay Coastguard team volunteered to make the attempt, as cliff man. "With great skill and support of all team members, the cliff man achieved the descent and secured the survivor," added Mr Bulley.