A MAN miraculously escaped relatively unscathed after his car plunged more than 600ft off the edge of a cliff on the road between Porlock and Lynmouth.

The car was found severely damaged at the bottom of the cliff but somehow a man managed to escape the car on his way down, and although he was taken to hospital he is not thought to have suffered serious injuries.

Emergency services were called out to the beach at Sillery Sands, near Lynmouth, after the car left the road shortly after 9am on Saturday (March 9).

The A39 was closed in both directions between Tors Road and Countisbury while the rescue operation took place.

Ilfracombe Coastguard Rescue and the Lynmouth Coastguard Rescue joined police and firefighters at the scene. The RNLI faced rough conditions and near gale force winds.

Carl Perrin of Ilfracombe RNLI said: “There were a number of people gathered around the rocks at the shoreline to observe the rescue.

“In such rough and unpredictable sea conditions, we would remind people to take extra care and to respect the water.”