Durdle Door closed to public after three injured jumping into sea

Durdle Door remains closed to the public after three people were seriously injured jumping off cliffs into the sea.

Police, the ambulance service, the coastguard and the RNLI attended the Dorset beauty spot on Saturday afternoon.

Videos posted on social media show people climbing and leaping from the arch at the site, which is 200ft high.

Officers and partner agencies are dealing with a critical incident at Durdle Door. The incident involved people jumping...

Posted by Poole Police on Saturday, May 30, 2020

Air ambulances landed at the scene and crowds of people were evacuated from the beach and surrounding cliff area.

Dorset Police confirmed that three people had sustained serious injuries and were receiving medical treatment.

That evening, Dorset Council said Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove would be closed "until further notice".

On Sunday morning, the council tweeted that the roads to the popular sites remained closed.

"You will not be able to visit the beaches there and will be asked to turn around if you try and access the villages," the council said.

It said the measure would be reviewed on Monday but urged people to avoid the area "for now".

Dorset Police tweeted: "Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove remain closed today along with approach roads to the area. Please do not travel as you will be turned away."

On Saturday, a post on Poole Police's Facebook page said the "critical incident" had involved people jumping from the arch of Durdle Door into the sea.

"The arch of Durdle Door is approximately 200 feet in height. Hitting water from that height, roughly 77mph, can be critical," it said.

"This is further compounded by tides, currents and altering depth of the sea bed. It is NOT an appropriate location for this type of activity."

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