Second cliff fall on Mornington Peninsula in a week
An Austrian tourist has been airlifted to hospital after falling from rocks at Bushrangers Bay near Cape Schanck, marking the second serious cliff fall on the Mornington Peninsula in the past week.
Emergency services were called to the remote site at about 1.15 pm on Saturday 27 December. Police said the 25-year-old woman fell around six metres from the rocks onto the shoreline below, suffering non life-threatening injuries.
Rescue operation at Bushrangers Bay
Paramedics, SES crews and police made their way down to reach her on the rocks close to the water. With the tide rising, they moved her onto a stretcher and carried her to safer ground before she was winched into an Air Ambulance helicopter and flown to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne for further treatment.
Teenage boy rescued days earlier in Sorrento
The incident follows a rescue in Sorrento only days earlier, after a teenage boy fell from a clifftop at Diamond Bay.
Emergency services were called to the reserve off Abbotsford Street on Tuesday 23 December, where the teen was located on rocks below the cliff with lower leg injuries. He was later winched to safety and taken to hospital.
Challenging conditions for emergency crews
Both rescues involved multiple agencies, including specialist police and SES teams, working in steep terrain, rising tides and strong surf conditions. The back beaches and coastal cliffs remain busy during the summer holiday period, increasing the likelihood of incidents in remote areas.
Authorities renew safety warnings for holiday visitors
Authorities say the two cliff falls are among a series of coastal rescues in Victoria over the Christmas period, prompting renewed warnings for locals and visitors.
Staying safe around cliffs and rock platforms
Visitors are urged to:
- keep to signed walking tracks and viewing points
- stay well back from cliff edges and wet or slippery rock platforms
- check surf and tide conditions before heading out
- supervise children closely near cliffs, rock pools and beaches
Anyone who sees someone in trouble in the water or near the cliffs should call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
