A 20-YEAR-OLD German woman has been airlifted to hospital after she fell from a cliff in north Belfast and spent a night outdoors in freezing temperatures.
Paramedics and the Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene after the woman, thought to be a student at Queen's University, was found at the base of Napoleon's Nose at Cavehill yesterday afternoon.
It is thought the woman fell on Tuesday afternoon while she was taking photographs. She was only discovered at around 2.30pm yesterday when a male jogger found a handbag and saw the woman lying at the bottom of the cliff.
A police search and rescue team, the coastguard, paramedics and fire fighters were all involved in the rescue operation.
The woman was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. A spokeswoman for the Belfast Trust said the woman was in a stable condition last night.
It is thought she suffered several broken bones in the fall.
Sinn Féin councillor JJ Magee praised the work of everyone involved in the rescue mission.
"A reassuring operation was put in place this evening to rescue a young woman who had got into difficulty on Cavehill," he said.
"I would like to thank all of those who took part in this rescue operation and wish the woman involved a speedy recovery.
"I would encourage anyone using Cavehill to use caution and seek help if they experience problems."
