Man saved by tree stump after falling off 100ft cliff at comedy gig in Devil’s Arse cave

John Shuttleworth show cancelled as ‘rescue nappy’ used to bring gig-goer to safety

Edale Mountain Rescue used a ‘rescue nappy’ to bring the man the safety (Edale Mountain Rescue)

A man was saved by clinging to a tree stump after slipping off a 100ft cliff on his way to a comedy show at a Peak District cave.

Comedian John Shuttleworth was mid-performance of his show at Peak Cavern, known as the “Devil’s Arse”, when it had to be abandoned due to the drama.

Edale Mountain Rescue man, who had hoped to attend the gig, had followed his satnav to the venue but ended up on a footpath above the cavern before losing his footing.

He managed to grab on to a tree and was left clinging on to it some 100ft (30m) above the cave entrance.

The man slipped atop a 100ft cliff at the Devil’s Arse cave (Edale Mountain Rescue)

The rescue team managed to get him to safety, but Shuttleworth’s show had to be cut short due to fears rocks could have been dislodged by the rescue mission.

The man was assessed by paramedics once on the ground, but was found to have suffered only a cut and some bruising above one of his eyes and did not need hospital treatment.

The cave was evacuated due to concerns rocks could have been dislodged (Edale Mountain Rescue)

Edale Mountain Rescue said in a statement: “Team members made their way to the top and quickly rigged up a technical rope system. Once this was all in place, a team member was lowered down to the gentleman’s position, where he was secured onto a rescue nappy.

“Unfortunately, the concert had to be cancelled, and the people had to be evacuated from the area due to the danger of rocks being dislodged onto the concert-goers below.”

Shuttleworth, the stage name of comedian Graham Fellows, was aware of the commotion, first thanking his audience for their cooperation before confirming the man was safe.

“Last night a man was on the way to my gig, but got lost and slipped and fell off a cliff,” he tweeted. “He was saved by a tree stump, and rescued in a giant nappy!

“We wish him well, and to my lovely Peak Cavern audience - thank you for evacuating so swiftly, and see you soon for the 2nd half!”

He added: “Delighted the man is safe and well, and I suppose I’ll have to write a song about the incident now. I can perform it when I return to finish the abandoned gig. I’ll let you know when it is, folks!”