A man and a woman have tragically been found dead at the bottom of a cliff at a seaside beauty spot.
Police rushed to Whitby Abbey, in North Yorkshire, at 7.16pm on Wednesday after the bodies were spotted on the rocks beneath the cliff by a local.
The coastguard then scrambled to recover the bodies while the tide was rapidly coming in.
The bodies were airlifted from the cliffs at 8.24pm before they were taken to hospital by paramedics.
North Yorkshire Police has launched an investigation into the sudden deaths.
A spokesman for the force said: ‘Emergency service teams have been involved in the recovery of two bodies from beneath the cliff at Whitby Abbey on Wednesday evening.
‘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.’
