A man has been flown to hospital after falling about 30ft from a north-east cliff.
He was spotted in the water just north of Cove Bay Harbour at about 11am this morning.
Paramedics rushed to the scene but called Aberdeen Coastguard to assist treating the man in his 20s.
The coastguard rescue helicopter from Inverness is currently winching him from the coast and will transport him to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
He is said to have suffered back injuries.
Coastguard rescue teams from Stonehaven and Montrose were called to the scene to assist.
A spokesman for Aberdeen coastguard said: “We assisted ambulance control with an incident in Cove Harbour. Is was a male who had fallen about 20ft – 30ft down the side of a steep cliff or embankment.
“The paramedics and coastguard when they got on scene assessed the man as having back injuries. The most suitable way of transporting him to hospital was through helicopter.
“We got the information through the ambulance. It was a male in his 20s, just to the north of the harbour.
“The casualty was taken to ARI by rescue helicopter. He was onshore when we found him.”
A police spokesman said: “At 10.55am we got the original call. We were made aware by the ambulance and coastguard about a man who had fallen into the harbour.
“He was taken to ARI with quite serious injuries. There was nothing to indicate it was anything life-threatening but his injuries were on the serious end of the scale.
“We were just there to assist.”