Caught on camera: The terrifying moment family are winched off cliff face

The father, mother and son were left clinging precariously to this cliff face when they attempted to rescue their nine-year-old daughter who had got into difficulties while bodyboarding off the Devon coast.

And while their daughter was pulled to safety by a passer-by, the other family members were forced up on to the rocks to escape the sea after being dragged 75m along the coast by a dangerous rip tide.

A coastguard is lowered down a cliff face in Hope Cove, Devon to rescue a mother, father and son who were left dangerously stranded on the rocks

They then spent half an hour anxiously waiting as coastguards abseiled down to reach them as they dangled above Hope Cove near Kingsbridge.

It is believed they were holidaying in the area when they got into difficulties last week.

Rescuer Ian Pedrick was winched down and pulled them to safety one at a time during the ordeal.

Mr Pedrick said: 'The family had been watching their daughter do some bodyboarding when she was caught in a really nasty swell.

The family had been watching their younger daughter bodyboard off a beach when she was suddenly caught by a rip tide and dragged out to sea

'She was dragged out to sea and they all went in to try and grab her back. But they were also dragged out by the strong rip tide.

'The girl was pulled out by someone else but her family were all spat out onto some rocks along the beach.

'It was very scary for them and we have had several fatalities at the same spot in the past so they were extremely lucky.

'I abseiled down and took them back to the top one at a time. They were extremely relieved and only suffered minor injuries.'

A spokesman for Brixham Coastguard added: 'They were in a confused state and battling against the tide.

'They suffered cuts and bruises after colliding with some rocks.'

The man is winched to safety after a dramatic hour on the rocks