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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Driver survives 200ft cliff fall | Driver survives 200ft cliff fall |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A man and his dog were "lucky to be alive" after a 4x4 plunged almost 200ft (60m) over a sheer cliff. | A man and his dog were "lucky to be alive" after a 4x4 plunged almost 200ft (60m) over a sheer cliff. |
| The driver was thrown from the Vauxhall Frontera at Chapman's Pool, near Swanage, Dorset. His calls for help were heard by a crew of a nearby yacht. | The driver was thrown from the Vauxhall Frontera at Chapman's Pool, near Swanage, Dorset. His calls for help were heard by a crew of a nearby yacht. |
| It took rescuers about 20 minutes to locate him in thick undergrowth. His dog was thrown out of the vehicle on the way down but has been found unhurt. | It took rescuers about 20 minutes to locate him in thick undergrowth. His dog was thrown out of the vehicle on the way down but has been found unhurt. |
| The driver suffered two broken legs and is undergoing surgery. | The driver suffered two broken legs and is undergoing surgery. |
| Portland Coastguard was called at about 0830 BST after reports that a 4x4 had driven off a cliff. | Portland Coastguard was called at about 0830 BST after reports that a 4x4 had driven off a cliff. |
| A coastguard spokeswoman said: "The man and the dog are lucky to be alive. | A coastguard spokeswoman said: "The man and the dog are lucky to be alive. |
| "It was a hard rescue and crews had to follow the man's shouts to find him under the thick undergrowth." | "It was a hard rescue and crews had to follow the man's shouts to find him under the thick undergrowth." |
| The 4x4 plunged halfway down a 400ft (122m) sheer drop and rescuers had to be winched down to the wreckage. | The 4x4 plunged halfway down a 400ft (122m) sheer drop and rescuers had to be winched down to the wreckage. |
| Dog returns | Dog returns |
| A police officer was also lowered to investigate the car but the cause of the crash is unknown. | A police officer was also lowered to investigate the car but the cause of the crash is unknown. |
| A Dorset Police spokesman said: "The man was lying in undergrowth halfway down a cliff at Emmetts Hill between Chapman's Pool and St Aldhelm's Head just after 9am this morning. | A Dorset Police spokesman said: "The man was lying in undergrowth halfway down a cliff at Emmetts Hill between Chapman's Pool and St Aldhelm's Head just after 9am this morning. |
| "He was found barely conscious by a coastguard cliff rescue ropes team near the crumpled wreckage of his vehicle which had come to rest in undergrowth on a large ledge of the cliff face. | "He was found barely conscious by a coastguard cliff rescue ropes team near the crumpled wreckage of his vehicle which had come to rest in undergrowth on a large ledge of the cliff face. |
| "It is believed the man had been thrown clear from his vehicle in the impact." | "It is believed the man had been thrown clear from his vehicle in the impact." |
| Shortly after the 42-year-old driver was airlifted to Poole Hospital a search began for his dog before it was called off. | Shortly after the 42-year-old driver was airlifted to Poole Hospital a search began for his dog before it was called off. |
| However, the black New Zealand sheepdog, named Zinzan, later made its own way home and was found underneath the kitchen table, Portland Coastguard said. | |
| Police appealed for witnesses but said there were no suspicious circumstances. | Police appealed for witnesses but said there were no suspicious circumstances. |