Aberdeen Coastguard were contacted on 16 July 2001 after a group of young boys found a man unconscious on rocks by cliffs near Aberdeen yesterday.

Five 12-year-old boys saw the 42-year-old man slip and injure himself and went to assist him.

One of the boys Sean Ross, called 999 on his mobile phone to alert emergency services of the incident at Greyhope Road near Girdleness Lighthouse at about 3.45pm.

The man slipped and fell about 12 feet onto rocks, injuring his head and neck. The boys comforted him until the arrival of the ambulance crew.

Paramedics requested assistance from Aberdeen coastguard, but the rescue team had trouble transporting the stretcher up the cliff wall.

Coastguards then called the RAF rescue helicopter from Lossiemouth.

The man was winched to the helicopter and taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by about 5.15pm.

Grampian Police have complimented the boys on their prompt actions which greatly assisted the emergency services in the rescue of this injured man."