Emergency services had to be diverted from a 999 open day to rescue a young man who had plunged off cliffs on Thurso seafront.
The alert was raised by a walker on Victoria Walk footpath about 11.25 yesterday morning.
The subsequent major rescue operation involved skilful flying by the helicopter pilot.
The casualty, who is understood to come from the local area, had fallen between 65 and 70 feet.
It is believed he had been lying overnight on the rocky foreshore below the Pennyland Mausoleum.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were scrambled to the scene, along with coastguard teams from Melvich, Wick, Duncansby and Scrabster.
Members of Thurso Lifeboat crew, who had been preparing to host the 999 open day, also rushed to the incident.
The rescue was made difficult by the slippery path leading down to where the man had fallen and was further exacerbated by a blustery wind.
A dozen-strong coastguard team and paramedics secured the casualty to a stretcher before he was winched on to the coastguard helicopter from Shetland.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter
The man, who was conscious, was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness suffering from head and other injuries and the suspected onset of hypothermia.
Senior coastguard Alison Smith said it was initially planned to use the lifeboat in the rescue.
But she added: “Because of the nature of his injuries, it was decided it would be best to deploy the helicopter to winch him up from where we found him.
“A paramedic and the stretcher were linked to the winch which had to keep low because of the high winds.
“It was a very skilful manoeuvre on the part of the pilot.”
A spokesman for Aberdeen Coastguard said: “Thurso lifeboat was out at the incident alongside several coastguard rescue teams from the area.
“Shortly upon arrival, it was deemed that a helicopter was the best method to recover the casualty from the base of the cliff.”
An update on the condition of the man was not available last night.
Many of the crews involved in the rescue went on to attend the 999 open day at Scrabster.
Victoria Walk, a popular walk between Thurso and Scrabster, has been the scene of a number of falls which have led to deaths and serious injuries.
