A woman had to be winched more than 200ft to safety after a terrifying white water rafting accident at a Moray beauty spot.
Rescue services spent several hours at Randolph’s Leap after her boat capsized on the rapid waters of the River Findhorn.
Coastguard teams and a search and rescue helicopter were called to the scene – but the gully was too narrow for the women to be airlifted off a rock ledge.
Rescue workers had to use ropes to pull her up the sharp cliff face.
The rafter, believed to be in her 20s, was taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin suffering from a leg injury.
Water sports instructor Jim Davis, who has been running Ace Adventure rafting expeditions on the River Findhorn for nine years, watched as the woman was winched up the cliff.
He said: “This seemed to just be a normal day, but the boat capsized and we suspect the client picked up an injury in the immediate aftermath of that.
“We followed the procedures as we are supposed to in these situations, and called on the coastguard service.
“The area we were rafting in, by Sluie Walk, is relatively complicated to access and the services chose not to airlift the woman.
“The coastguards did a good job and we are very thankful to them.”
More than a dozen fire brigade and coastguard personnel joined forces to pull the stricken adventurer to safety.
Paramedics arrived on the scene at 6.45pm to treat her as she reached the top of the cliff.
Burghead coastguard station officer, Graeme Gordon, said: “We were made aware of a woman having encountered problems rafting on the River Findhorn at 3.45pm.
“Our helicopter winchman twice tried to throw a wire down the gully to haul the woman up, but due to the nature of the area that was a complicated process.
“It was also too high, and it just wouldn’t have been suitable to use the helicopter.
“We decided the safest way to progress would be to take her up by coastguard rope rescue.
“That is really, really hard work and we were lucky to have such a big presence from the fire service.”
A fire and rescue spokesman said: “We were called to an incident at Randolph’s Leap just after 4pm, and engines from Buckie, Lossiemouth and Elgin attended as well as one water rescue unit from Elgin.
“We received the stop message at 6.30pm.”
Earlier this year a teenager died at Randolph’s Leap, six miles south of Forres, after attempting to swim across the river.
The 19-year-old’s body was later found at Findhorn Bay.
A 39-year-old man died after plunging into the river at Randolph’s Leap two years ago when he lost his footing and fell from a ledge.
Forres councillor George Alexander warned: “The river is extremely dangerous when it is in a state of spate.”