Latest news with #NorthYorkshire
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Elderly couple ‘jumped to deaths hand-in-hand' from cliff beneath Whitby Abbey
An elderly couple jumped to their deaths hand-in-hand from a cliff beneath Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, witnesses have said. The man and woman, who have not been named, are thought to have taken their own lives in the seaside town on Wednesday evening. Their bodies were found on rocks 180ft beneath the ruined Gothic abbey, which inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. Brian Vickers, 63, said the couple had smiled at passers-by before leaping to their deaths. 'I saw the helicopter hovering and came down to see what was going on,' he said. 'I was told from somebody who has been walking along the path that he had come across them shortly before and they did not appear to be in distress. 'One witness said 'they smiled at me and I smiled back'. It was as if they were just going for a walk, there was nothing strange about it. He said that they turned to face the sea and held hands and jumped. About a dozen people witnessed it.' As the tide came in, the couple were airlifted by a Coastguard helicopter to waiting paramedics, who pronounced them dead at 8.24pm. The circumstances of their death are not suspicious, police sources said. 'It is dreadfully sad' A security guard at a vintage steam engine rally being held at the abbey ruins said: 'The place was full of police and emergency vehicles trying to recover the bodies. They had to be winched up by the Coastguard helicopter one at a time because the tide was fast coming in. It's heartbreaking.' A rally attendee added: 'People were saying that the couple had been saying 'hello' to walkers, as you do, and looked to be enjoying a nice evening walk before they jumped off. It is dreadfully sad. But it seems to have been a deliberate act, not an accident.' A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: 'A member of the public called the police at 7.16pm after spotting a man and woman on the rocks below. 'With the tide coming in fast, the Coastguard coordinated a helicopter recovery to ambulance crews near Whitby Abbey. This was completed at 8.24pm. Paramedics confirmed the deaths, and the bodies have been taken to hospital by ambulance. 'Police are on with tracing the next of kin of the man and woman while the investigation continues into the circumstances of the sudden deaths for a coroner's report.' The RNLI said: 'Whitby RNLI volunteers launched their inshore lifeboat yesterday evening at 7.20pm to respond to an incident alongside other emergency services.'
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Man and woman 'jumped' 200ft to their deaths from cliff in front of horrified onlookers at seaside beauty spot
A man and woman 'jumped' 200ft to their deaths from a cliff in front of horrified onlookers at a seaside beauty spot, it is claimed. Police rushed to Whitby Abbey, in North Yorkshire, at 7.16pm on Wednesday after the man and woman's bodies were spotted on the rocks beneath the cliff by a local. The pair, believed to be aged in their 40s, were seen heading towards the cliffs on a path near Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire, moments before. The area was busy with holidaymakers, many of whom had been enjoying the evening after a day out at the historic 7th-century Abbey which sits on the clifftop over the historic fishing port of Whitby. Shocked witnesses recalled seeing the pair stride up to the cliff edge, despite there being a sheer drop directly beneath. They then claim to have seen them turn to face the sea before jumping off and falling to their deaths. The coastguard scrambled to recover their bodies while the tide was rapidly coming in, as mountain rescue teams went down the cliff on ropes to get to them. Their bodies were airlifted from the cliffs at 8.24pm before they were taken to hospital by paramedics. Brian Vickers, 63, was camping on the cliff nearby when 'all hell broke loose'. 'Police, ambulances, and mountain rescue and coastguard helicopters were on the scene very quickly,' he said. 'The helicopter was here around 8pm on Wednesday night. The path leading to the cliff was extremely busy with walkers and dog walkers. 'I was told the couple who died were walking along the path. Another couple were coming the other way. 'The next thing we know is they jumped. It was absolutely horrific to see. The poor souls did not stand a chance. They fell straight onto the rocks below. 'The coastguard helicopter arrived in an hour and we witnessed the horrific scene of them being winched from the beach to waiting ambulances on the cliff top. 'The police told me they were searching for their car nearby but had not found it yet. The whole thing was over and everyone had gone by 11pm.' A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: 'Emergency service teams have been involved in the recovery of two bodies from beneath the cliff at Whitby Abbey on Wednesday (30 July 2025) evening. 'The bodies were airlifted from the cliffs at 8.24pm before they were taken to hospital by paramedics 'A member of the public called the police at 7.16pm after spotting a man and woman on the rocks below. 'With the tide coming in fast, the Coastguard coordinated a helicopter recovery to ambulance crews near Whitby Abbey. This was completed at 8.24pm. 'Paramedics confirmed the deaths, and the bodies have been taken to hospital by ambulance. 'Police are on with tracing the next of kin of the man and woman while the investigation continues into the circumstances of the sudden deaths for a coroner's report. 'Witnesses to the incident or anyone with information that could assist officers are urged to call North Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting reference number 12250141734.' For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit or visit
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Five jockeys involved in emergency plane landing drama
Five jockeys based in the north were involved in a dramatic emergency landing on Thursday, after the light aircraft they were travelling in to Goodwood suffered what is thought to have been an engine problem. Rowan Scott, Callum Rodriguez, PJ McDonald, Tom Eaves and Jack Garritty were flying from Bagby Airfield near Thirsk in North Yorkshire when the pilot was forced to turn back. Scott's agent Niall Hannity said: 'They set off from Bagby and something went wrong with the plane so they started to get a bit panicky, as you can imagine. 'The pilot, who has 25 years experience, said nothing like it had ever happened to him but they were able to get turned round and land back at Bagby, which must have been frightening. 'The main thing is they got back down and they are all safe now. 'Rowan was sending me messages in the air asking me to let John Quinn and Alice Haynes know he wouldn't be able to ride their horses today and I was telling him not to worry about that in the grand scheme of things!' He added: 'It was Rowan's first time in a private plane – he said it's also his last.' To make matters worse for Scott, Haynes' Naana's Sparkle (15-2) went and won the Buccellati Handicap under his substitute Charles Bishop. Haynes said: 'Poor Rowan was upset he couldn't make it. He sounded quite shook up. Thank God they are all OK. I think the engine failed after they had gone 20 minutes.''
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Fourteen arrested in Harrogate district crime crackdown
Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with Class A drugs, burglary, shop theft, fraud and other offences in the Harrogate Yorkshire Police said it was part of Operation Tornado, a large-scale operation to keep communities arrested include a man and a woman in their 40s who were taken into custody after police raided two flats in are being questioned on suspicion of conspirary to supply Class A drugs and burglary, after officers recovered what is believed to be heroin and crack cocaine, along with cash and drug-related items. Suspected stolen goods were also the force said two people were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences and four arrests were made in connection with retail thefts. The operation has also prioritised community engagement, with officers patrolling Harrogate town centre and visiting businesses to talk about crime prevention. Harrogate-based Insp Andy Pickless-Ingram said: "Yesterday's Operation Tornado has made a significant impact on crime in a number of communities."Burglary, drugs, shop theft and other offences we've tackled damage communities – residents, quite rightly, want us to come down hard on the perpetrators, which is exactly what this operation is about."A similar operation in York and Selby in April saw nine people arrested, mostly for motoring offences, and five vehicles to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bodies of man and woman recovered from beneath cliff at Whitby Abbey
Two bodies have been recovered from beneath the cliff at Whitby Abbey, police have said. A member of the public called the police at around 7.15pm on Wednesday after spotting a man and a woman on the rocks below, North Yorkshire police said. The Coastguard coordinated a helicopter recovery to ambulance crews near Whitby Abbey which was completed at 8.24pm. Paramedics confirmed the deaths and the bodies have been taken to hospital by ambulance. An investigation into the circumstances of the deaths is under way while police seek to trace the man and woman's next of kin. Witnesses to the incident or anyone with information that could assist officers are urged to call North Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting reference number 12250141734.
