RNLI Lifeguards have treated a man who suffered suspected spinal injuries after falling 12 feet from rocks.

The lifeguards were alerted to the man’s fall by Brixham Coastguard and three lifeguards went to his aid.

The man had fallen at Rodney Bay, to the east of Orcombe Point, and lifeguards had to wade through water and climb over rocks before they could reach him.

They treated the man with the help of the Exmouth inshore lifeboat crew, who took him back to the beach, where he was put in an ambulance and taken to hospital.

Senior lifeguard Felicity Elliott said: “When we arrived, the man was in a lot of pain and was on his hands and knees, unable to move. We did an initial assessment and gave him oxygen.

“The lifeboat crew arrived and, with their help, we got the man on our spinal board.”

Lifeguard Aidan Glanville said: “We put a neck collar on the man and I held his head to immobilise the spine, as we lifted him into the lifeboat’s stretcher.

“We then put him in the lifeboat and I travelled back in the boat to keep the man’s head in position.”

Exmouth Lifeboat Station operations manager Kevin Riley said: “The crew of the inshore lifeboat was very impressed with the way in which the lifeguards had organised and dealt with the situation and everyone worked very well together.”