Youths hurt in 'freak accident'

Two teenagers have been injured, one seriously, after a rock fell on them during a beach party in south Devon.

The group of six friends were celebrating a birthday at Landcombe Cove when the 224lb (101.6kg) rock fell from the roof of a cave.

Coastguards have described the incident as a "freak accident".

A group of boys managed to move the rock, but one 16-year-old suffered a broken leg and ankle and another received tissue injuries.

'Steep access'

The party were rescued by the RNLI's inshore lifeboat from Dartmouth and Torbay's all weather lifeboat as well as a Royal Navy helicopter.

The group of teenagers were said to be very shocked by what had happened.

John Fenton, from the RNLI, said: "It was very steep access down to the cove and so they had a hard job to raise the alarm.

"The rescue teams seemed to think it was the fire's heat that dried out the cave and that's why the rock fell on them."

The youths were taken to Torbay hospital.