Walker with broken leg crawls for two hours along Devon beach in dark after rocks fall

Tim Robinson being helped by RNLI and coastguard volunteers after he fell while walking near Seatown
Tim Robinson being helped by RNLI and coastguard volunteers after he fell while walking near Seatown Credit: RNLI/PA

A man with a broken leg crawled for more than two hours along a beach after slipping on rocks.

Tim Robinson had no means to call for help after he fell while walking near Seatown, east of Lyme Regis in Devon, at about 4.30pm on Saturday.

The 54-year-old, who was on holiday with his wife in Bridport, managed to clamber off the rocks and on to the stony beach, then dragged himself three-quarters of a mile in the darkness towards the lights of Seatown.

Mr Robinson had told his wife, Paula, where he was going and when he did not come home as expected, she went looking for him and discovered him on the shore.

She raised the alarm and the West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team and RNLI Lyme Regis lifeboat found the couple, who live near Derby.

He was taken aboard the lifeboat and ferried to a waiting ambulance at Lyme Regis harbour which took him to Dorset County Hospital.

Mr Robinson, a full-time member of the Territorial Army, said: "I just slipped on a rock and have two fractures of the right leg. Everyone who helped me was just terrific."

His wife said: "Luckily, Tim had a torch but no mobile phone. I saw a flicker of light and thought it must be him. But I picked up a rock, just in case it wasn't!"

Tim Robinson fell  near Seatown, east of Lyme Regis in Devon

RNLI helmsman Jon Broome, who was in charge of the lifeboat, said Mr Robinson appeared to have used sticks to "help him stagger and crawl" along the shore.

The Coastguard urged people to remember to take a fully charged mobile phone, warm clothing, sturdy footwear and water, and to check the weather and tides before heading to the coast.

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