A CLIMBER was badly injured after a fall of roughly 50 feet onto a ledge in Gogarth Bay, Anglesey.

Holyhead RNLI and Coastguard crews were called to rescue the man, named only as Jon, on June 1.

Now recovering at home, Jon has written his own account of what happened that day.

He was conscious throughout, and fully aware of everything around him, but spent between seven and eight hours on a cliff face while the crews came to his rescue.

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Jon said: “As I fell, I could see my other pieces of protection and thought to myself: ‘The rope will go tight in a second, the gear is good’, before quickly realising the rope will, in fact, not go tight.

“Miraculously, I landed feet-first, 15 metres below on the small flat pedestal. Immediately crumpling under the force, all the air in my lungs expelled instantly.

“Unfortunately, due to there being no phone signal, combined with it being a quiet day at the crag, there was no alternative but for my partner  to reverse the 400ft approach by himself to get signal to call for help.

“Now I wait, the situation completely out of my hands. The unrelenting evening sun keeping me warm, I place my t-shirt over my head and try to relax.

“Punctuating the sounds of the sea, I hear the rumble of an outboard engine. Could that be help already? It’s been less than 40 minutes since my partner went for help.

“I can just make out the lettering on the helmets, RNLI. Feelings of gratitude and relief wash over me as the helmsmen pins the boat against the rocky shoreline.”

One by one, Jon was introduced to RNLI crew members Mark, Holly and Mike as they joined him on the pedestal.

Communicating constantly between the rest of their team and the Coastguard, it became clear to Jon that this would not be a straightforward rescue.

Due to the height of the pedestal and the uncertainty of the extent of his injuries, Jon could not be carried to the rib; instead, being lifted by helicopter seemed the ideal solution.

Within minutes, he was told that a helicopter was being scrambled and would be with them shortly.

Jon added: “With my pain under control and gotten me as comfortable as possible, we chat about where they were when they got the call.

“They were easy to talk to, their relaxed but professional demeanour filled me with confidence, never once did I question that I was going to be OK.

“With the sun slowly setting, the coastguard helicopter arrives, the downdraft creating mesmerising patterns on the sea’s surface.

“Unfortunately, due to the overhanging nature of the crag, the helicopter was unable to get a fixed line to the team without getting dangerously close to the cliff face.

“It turns around and disappears into the sunset to refuel. Once again, it’s just me and the RNLI team.”

With the sun setting and Jon’ second Green Whistle slowly running out, the RNLI team stressed to him the importance of getting a paramedic on the scene to the Coastguard as it wouldn’t be long before he was going to have zero pain relief.

The Coastguard deployed their winch paramedic, lowered to one of the RNLI boats who transport him quickly shoreside.

With Holly back on the boat, Mark, Mike and Chris proceeded to wait about three hours until the rope technician appeared over the lip of the overhang.

Jon added: “Despite being in a very uncomfortable position, they waited with incredible patience, talking with me and to each other about life, both in and out of work.

“It was fully dark by this point, the only light being from the nearby RNLI boat, waiting to receive me.

“Once on the scene, the team waste no time getting me into the technician’s basket.

“Due to the overhang, once the cliff team lifted us from the pedestal, we swung around 20 metres over the pitch-black water.

“Rapidly, I was lowered into a waiting rib and transported back into the main boat using their winch.

“All crew members did an excellent job keeping me stable and keeping me constantly in the loop with what was happening.

“Once Chris the paramedic was onboard, the huge engines jumped into action and we were moving. He fitted me with a harness, preparing me for being lifted into the helicopter.

“The turbulent wake and howling wind the only indicators of how fast we were moving, I hear the familiar chop of an approaching helicopter as it matches our speed.

“As I lie there, they remove the first aid blanket to prepare me for hoisting. I start to shiver, still only wearing my shorts, the intensity and vulnerability of my situation hitting home.

“Unprompted, one of the female crewmembers kneels beside me and holds my hand reassuringly in the last few minutes before being lifted into the air.

“All the RNLI crew both on-scene and at base have my utmost gratitude and respect after a long and difficult rescue, especially Mark, Mike, Holly and the female crewmember, whose name I did not get.

“I wish all the team the very best and hope to see them again soon.”