Man rescued after climbing up Scottish cliff to flee “aggressive” seals

The coast guard had to pluck fisherman off a cliff to save him from a colony of 50 “aggressive seals.”

According to the U.K.’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the angler had been walking along a beach in Green Stane, near Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders, when he came across the seal colony on Friday night.

The group, which included young pups, “quickly became agitated and turned aggressive,” the coast guard said.

The man scrambled up a cliff to escape, but got stuck. Facing the dark and cold, he called for help around 7:40 p.m.

Four Coastguard Rescue Teams from Dunbar, Berwick, North Berwick and Eyemouth and Eyemouth RNLI All Weather Lifeboat were sent to the location, alongside Police Scotland. Photo: Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Rescue crews and police soon spotted the man.

Using ropes, they lowered an cliff technician down 23 metres (75 feet) to rescue fisherman and lift him to a lifeboat below.

“Anyone who encounters a seal or a colony of seals on the beach or coastline is advised to move away at the first sign of agitation,” Senior Coastguard Operations Officer Jonathan Mustard said in a statement. “Aggressive seals are not a common occurrence and in this case they may have been protecting or defending their natural habitat and their young.”

The man was uninjured and only had mild exposure to the cold, the coast guard added.

“The RNLI Lifeboat quickly nipped in amid the seals and put onboard the angler and the cliff technician before taking them to Eyemouth Harbour,” the coast guard said. Photo: Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Officials also issued a reminder.

If you’re walking along the coast, keep your phone fully charged, and call 999 if you need help.

Angler rescued from cliff face in #GreenStane after he was forced to climb it to escape colony of 50 aggressive seals on beach. #HMCoastguard Rescue Teams lowered to man and then @RNLI lifeboat nips in and takes them off beach! #allsafe #999Coastguard https://t.co/DqibRfKXNz pic.twitter.com/wZQmNqgzHK

— Maritime&Coastguard (@MCA_media) November 3, 2018