EMERGENCY services including ambulance, coastguard, police, two lifeboats and a rescue helicopter searched for three hours for a person reported injured on the South West Coast Path last Wednesday, only to discover that the ‘casualty’ had left the scene and was safe and well.

An ambulance was initially sent out after a 999 call reporting that a walker had fallen on the coastal path and needed medical assistance. After the crew failed to find anyone and the walker’s mobile phone was unanswered, it sparked a full-scale emergency alert.

A Coastguard spokesman said: “With only an estimated last known position of the mobile phone signal between Worthy Toll and Culbone church and in an area heavily wooded and with many coast path collapses, the search area was massive in fading light.

“Our officer in charge decided to immediately request additional support from the Lynmouth coastguard search and rescue, and to ask that the two Minehead lifeboats, which were out training, be diverted to make a shoreline search and to check the rock scree areas on the cliffs.”

There was also a request for the coastguard’s South Wales rescue helicopter to make a thermal search of woodlands, the shoreline and cliffs.

The spokesman added: “After three hours of searching an update was received from the injured party that they had managed to evacuate themselves from the coast path prior to our tasking to the scene and they were safe and well.

“All the search teams were then recalled and stood down. Our advice to anyone in distress on the coast is to call 999 for the coastguard to avoid delays in our response.

“If a 999 call is made and assistance is no longer required, always call back the emergency services to advise them to prevent unnecessary searches and the associated dangers to the emergency service personnel.”