A FULL-scale search was launched for a 69-year-old walker who spent all night trapped inside a cave at the base of Hurlstone Point near Bossington.

The woman, who lives in Porlock, was rescued by volunteer lifeboat crews from Minehead on Sunday morning (December 18) having been reported missing on Saturday evening.

The alarm was raised when she failed to return home after setting out to walk the South West Coast Path from Minehead to Porlock via North Hill.

A search was carried out by a coastguard helicopter from St Athan in South Wales, Watchet Coastguard, Exmoor and Lynmouth search and rescue teams, police officers, special constables and a police dog handler.

They started the search at 10.30pm and were finally stood down at 10am.

Minehead’s D class lifeboat was able to get close enough to the rocks for the crew to the cave and the woman was transferred to the station’s Atlantic 85.

She was given first aid to a head injury before being taken back to Minehead and checked over by the lifeboat station’s local operations manager Dr John Higgie and an ambulance crew.

Dr Higgie said the woman was cold but otherwise none the worse for her all-night ordeal.

“She is an experienced walker and often uses this section of the coast path,” he said.

“Unfortunately, just as it was getting dark on Saturday night, she slipped and fell a few feet, but she decided to do the sensible thing and stay where she was and wait for help to come.”