Helicopter and coastguard teams rescue man stuck on steep slope

The rescue operation took place on Thursday evening.

A coastguard helicopter was involved in the rescue (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Archive)

A 72-year-old man has been rescued by coastguard teams and a helicopter after he became stuck on a steep muddy slope.

People passing by raised the alarm when they spotted the man in difficulty around five to 10 metres down a slope in Newtonhill, Aberdeenshire on Thursday evening.

When their own rescue attempts failed, they called the coastguard at around 8.30pm.

Aberdeen Coastguard said teams from Aberdeen, Stonehaven and Cruden Bay went to the scene along with the Stonehaven RNLI lifeboat and coastguard rescue helicopter 151.

Ropes were used to reach the man and he was then lifted from the slope by helicopter and passed into the care of the ambulance service.

It is thought he had minor injuries.