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| Dorset landslide victim identified as 22-year-old Derbyshire woman | Dorset landslide victim identified as 22-year-old Derbyshire woman |
| (9 months later) | |
| A young woman who died after being buried by tonnes of rock following the collapse of a cliff on a beach in Dorset has been identified by her uncle as Charlotte Blackman from Derbyshire. | A young woman who died after being buried by tonnes of rock following the collapse of a cliff on a beach in Dorset has been identified by her uncle as Charlotte Blackman from Derbyshire. |
| "She was a lively, fun-loving woman, who had her whole life in front of her," said Douglas Blackman. He said he found out about his niece's death at 11pm on Tuesday night. She was found buried underneath the rubble after a nine-hour search operation. Horrified onlookers – including the 22-year-old's father and boyfriend – had tried to get to her before another huge section of cliff gave way, forcing them back. | "She was a lively, fun-loving woman, who had her whole life in front of her," said Douglas Blackman. He said he found out about his niece's death at 11pm on Tuesday night. She was found buried underneath the rubble after a nine-hour search operation. Horrified onlookers – including the 22-year-old's father and boyfriend – had tried to get to her before another huge section of cliff gave way, forcing them back. |
| Douglas Blackman said: "I don't have many words at the moment, to be honest. She was on holiday with her whole family, her mum Rachel, dad Kevin, sister Sinead, little brother Mitchell and boyfriend Matt. My brother and her boyfriend and her little brother were there when it happened. I understand the boyfriend got her little brother away into the sea to get him away from it." | Douglas Blackman said: "I don't have many words at the moment, to be honest. She was on holiday with her whole family, her mum Rachel, dad Kevin, sister Sinead, little brother Mitchell and boyfriend Matt. My brother and her boyfriend and her little brother were there when it happened. I understand the boyfriend got her little brother away into the sea to get him away from it." |
| Before Charlotte's body was found, he had posted an appeal on Facebook for friends to pray for her. "The only thing I can think to do is to ask anyone who knows me to pray with all your might for my niece Charlotte who is god willing fighting for every breath of air in Dorset tonight," he said. | Before Charlotte's body was found, he had posted an appeal on Facebook for friends to pray for her. "The only thing I can think to do is to ask anyone who knows me to pray with all your might for my niece Charlotte who is god willing fighting for every breath of air in Dorset tonight," he said. |
| Mick Stead, from Dorset fire and rescue service, said a 20-metre stretch of the south-west coast path had given way. He estimated that about 400 tonnes of mud and rock had fallen from the top of the cliff down on to the beach. | Mick Stead, from Dorset fire and rescue service, said a 20-metre stretch of the south-west coast path had given way. He estimated that about 400 tonnes of mud and rock had fallen from the top of the cliff down on to the beach. |
| Emergency crews were joined by specialist search teams and a police helicopter but their efforts were hampered amid fears of further landslides. Sniffer dogs were used to search the pile of mud and rocks and rescue teams used listening devices to try to locate Blackman. | Emergency crews were joined by specialist search teams and a police helicopter but their efforts were hampered amid fears of further landslides. Sniffer dogs were used to search the pile of mud and rocks and rescue teams used listening devices to try to locate Blackman. |
| Gary Rafferty, 36, from Bournemouth, went to help when the first part of the cliff collapsed. "I rushed to help and helped a man aged in his 50s out of the debris. I saw his son who had also been trapped. I said to him, 'Are you all right?' and he said, 'No, my girlfriend's trapped under there.' He was quite hysterical." | Gary Rafferty, 36, from Bournemouth, went to help when the first part of the cliff collapsed. "I rushed to help and helped a man aged in his 50s out of the debris. I saw his son who had also been trapped. I said to him, 'Are you all right?' and he said, 'No, my girlfriend's trapped under there.' He was quite hysterical." |
| Rafferty said they had struggled to reach Blackman before the second landslide struck. A Dorset police spokeswoman said the body of a 22-year-old woman was found at approximately 9.40pm on Tuesday. "It is believed the incident was a tragic accident and our thoughts are with the family of the victim at this very difficult time," she said. | Rafferty said they had struggled to reach Blackman before the second landslide struck. A Dorset police spokeswoman said the body of a 22-year-old woman was found at approximately 9.40pm on Tuesday. "It is believed the incident was a tragic accident and our thoughts are with the family of the victim at this very difficult time," she said. |
| Emergency services believe heavy rain over the last few weeks combined with this week's heatwave caused the tragedy. | Emergency services believe heavy rain over the last few weeks combined with this week's heatwave caused the tragedy. |
| The cliff forms part of the Jurassic Coast world heritage site and the landslide came on the hottest day of the year so far, just over a fortnight after severe flooding left much of the area under water. | The cliff forms part of the Jurassic Coast world heritage site and the landslide came on the hottest day of the year so far, just over a fortnight after severe flooding left much of the area under water. |
| Two weeks ago, Somerset couple Rosemary Snell, 67, and Michael Rolfe, 72, were killed in a landslide at the Beaminster tunnel nine miles away. | Two weeks ago, Somerset couple Rosemary Snell, 67, and Michael Rolfe, 72, were killed in a landslide at the Beaminster tunnel nine miles away. |
| Four days ago, Dorset council posted a statement on its website warning walkers and fossil-hunters to be wary of landslides and other hazards following recent bad weather. | Four days ago, Dorset council posted a statement on its website warning walkers and fossil-hunters to be wary of landslides and other hazards following recent bad weather. |
| It said the exceptionally wet weather of recent months had led to a "heightened risk of rock falls anywhere and at any time along the coast". | It said the exceptionally wet weather of recent months had led to a "heightened risk of rock falls anywhere and at any time along the coast". |
| A spokesman added on 20 July: "The advice is to stay well away from the cliffs at all times and to beware of mudflows and quicksand, especially when the tide is coming in, as it is possible to become cut off from the normal exit points to and from the beaches." | A spokesman added on 20 July: "The advice is to stay well away from the cliffs at all times and to beware of mudflows and quicksand, especially when the tide is coming in, as it is possible to become cut off from the normal exit points to and from the beaches." |
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