Tourist in two-hour crawl on Devon beach with broken leg after fall

A tourist who broke his leg after slipping on rocks staggered and crawled for three quarters of a mile along a Devon beach for more than two hours in the dark.

Tim Robinson, 54, dragged himself along before he was found by the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew, coastguards and his worried wife on Saturday.

He fell during a walk at about 4.30pm on the beach under Golden Cap, east of Lyme Regis.

Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew launched at 7.10pm to assist coastguards in a search for Mr Robinson. They located him during a shoreline search eight minutes later.


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Two first-aid trained crew members, Tom Crabbe and Tom Wallis, went ashore to help coastguards assess Mr Robinson's condition. Meanwhile the lifeboat returned to Lyme Regis to pick up three further crew to steady the vessel in the surf when it was beached to take Mr Robinson aboard.

Mr Robinson's wife, Paula, who raised the alarm, started to walk along the beach from Seatown looking for her husband.

She said: "Luckily, Tim had a torch but no mobile phone. I saw a flicker of light and thought it must be him. But I picked up a rock, just in case it wasn't!"

Jon Broome, who was in charge of the lifeboat for his first 'shout' since qualifying as a helm, said: "It was a very well organised rescue by all involved. It seems Mr Robinson used sticks to help him stagger and crawl towards Seatown after the injury."

From his hospital bed in Dorchester Mr Robinson, who is a full time member of the Territorial Army, said: "I just slipped on a rock and have two fractures of the right leg. Everyone who helped me was just terrific."

Mr Robinson was taken aboard the lifeboat to a waiting ambulance at Lyme Regis harbour. The lifeboat returned at 8.49pm.

Mr and Mrs Robinson, from the Derby area, had been staying in Bridport on a short holiday.