COASTGUARD NEWS - SOUTHERN                  

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Southern 113/01
26 June 2001

MOTORCYCLE PLUNGES OVER WHITE CLIFFS

Dover Coastguard are currently (26 June 2001) co-ordinating an air and sea search for a motorcycle rider who apparently plunged over the edge of a 200ft cliff.

A member of the public alerted a National Trust warden after seeing the machine and its rider drive over the cliff edge at South Foreland, near Dover.

A Coastguard cliff rescue team from Deal and a lifeboat crew are struggling against a high tide to find the man and his machine.


Dover lifeboat
The coastguard's search helicopter was sent from RAF Wattisham to the scene, one mile east of the harbour near South Foreland lighthouse.

A Dover Coastguard spokesman said: "We have a witness who saw a rider drive deliberately towards the cliff edge. We are taking it very seriously.

"We have found tyre tread marks at the scene. Whether the rider meant to drive over the edge is yet to be ascertained.

"The bottom of the cliff is still underwater as the tide is still high but it is ebbing away. We may have to wait a while longer before we can find anything. An ambulance is on the scene and the police have been notified."