Woman rescued after found “clinging to edge of cliff” in Derry

The rescue lasted four hours.

A woman has been rescued in Derry after she was found clinging off the edge of a cliff on Saturday night. The woman was lifted to safety after a four hour rescue operation on a mountain in Co. Derry at around 9.30pm on Saturday night. Both Northern Irish emergency services and those from the Republic rushed to the scene after being alerted that a walker found herself in difficulties on the Binevenagh mountain overlooking Lough Foyle. The Police Service of Northern Ireland gathered emergency services to the scene, with the Colraine Coast Guard saying that the woman was discovered "clinging to the edge of a cliff", a cliff that is 385m high. The cliff ranges across the Magilligan peninsula, covering almost 10km of the area. As the night began to get darker, The Irish Coast Guard sent a helicopter out from their base in Sligo to assist with the rescue. The Colraine Coast Guard said in a statement: "In a major rescue operation co-ordinated by Belfast Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, a coast guard rope rescue technician was lowered 150 feet [45m] to secure the casualty before she was winched to safety by R118 Irish [Coast Guard] helicopter from Sligo." "All the agencies worked closely together to ensure a good outcome to a very difficult rescue in challenging terrain." The woman was taken to hospital after the recuse, which lasted until 1.45am on Sunday morning. The North West Mountain Rescue Team said they send out a team of 15 members to "assist a walker who had got into difficulty on Binevenagh mountain." They added: "With the assistance of PSNI, Community Rescue Service and Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, a successful rescue was achieved." "We wish the casualty a speedy recovery."