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Praise for heroic cliff rescue boy - COMMENT ON THIS STORY
Praise for heroic cliff rescue boy
A TEENAGE boy has been praised by police for risking his own safety to help a man who plunged down a cliff.
Emergency services were called to Wheatcroft to rescue a 56-year-old man who was found half way down the cliff side at Cornelian Bay.
However before the police, coastguard, and lifeboat arrived at the scene 16-year-old Jason Marsden had spotted the man, and climbed down to try and help him.
Jason stayed with the man, who was threatening to move further down towards the sea, and tried to calm him.
Police have since praised Jason for his "quick thinking" actions, and say the outcome could have been much worse had he not been there. Jason, of Whin Bank, who is a former Graham School pupil, said: "I was just riding past on my bike and a family had stopped and were looking over the edge of the cliff.
"I stopped too and saw a man half way down. I could tell he was hurt because I could hear him groaning.
"I knew someone had to help him so I climbed down to where he was. "He kept trying to push himself further down the cliff to I took his hand and tried to stop him.
"He dragged me down with him a bit but I managed to pull us to a flatter ledge.
"He was on the phone to the police so I took the phone off him and told the police where we were.
"He kept saying he wanted to die. I was trying to calm him down and tell him everything was going to be okay. I was really shaken after but I knew I had to do something to stop him."
Shortly after police arrived at the scene the man was airlifted by an RAF Search and Rescue Helicopter to Scarborough Hospital where he received treatment for suspected spinal injuries and a suspected broken ankle.
Superintendent Javad Ali, district commander for Scarborough, said: "Jason Marsden showed a presence of mind beyond his years to ensure that the man did not suffer any further injuries.
"Without his quick thinking there may have been a very different outcome and I would like to both thank and praise him for his actions."
GOOD DEED ... Jason Marsden climbed down a cliff to help a man who had plunged dozens of feet down. The man later airlifted to Scarborough Hospital
103027, 103015c
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
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