A 39-year-old climber waited at the foot of cliffs near St Govans for three hours yesterday (Sunday), after his rescue helicopter was diverted to another incident.

The man from Cheltenham fell ten metres after a piece of climbing equipment failed. He was wearing a helmet but sustained suspected leg chest and back injuries.

Tenby and St Govans coastguards, along with south Pembrokeshire Sector Manager, arrived at the scene at 12.32pm yesterday. They reached the casualty and made him comfortable.

RAF rescue helicopter 169 from Chivenor was tasked to St Govans but en- route another emergency was reported and the helicopter diverted to Tenby.

Shortly before 1pm a 70-year-old man had collapsed and was unconscious at the resort’s North Beach. RNLI lifeguards and Tenby inshore lifeboat crew assisted and administered CPR until the arrival of paramedics

Paramedics requested help and the helicopter landed on the beach at 1.10pm, taking off five minutes later and conveying the pensioner to Morriston Hospital.

The helicopter then returned to St Govans, picking up the climber at 3.30pm and taking him to Morriston.

A coastguard spokesman said that this kind of rescue is rare:

“If one situation is more serious than the other it takes priority,” she said. “Members of the coastguard teams, who are paramedically trained, were with the cliff faller and kept him comfortable until the helicopter came back.”