Three youths were rescued by the Coastguard and lifeboat volunteers from cliffs off Marine Drive, Douglas.

The three had become stuck on the cliff just before the toll gates, with two of them literally clinging on when the rescue services arrived.

It was decided it was safer to lower two of the youths down to a lifeboat dinghy and lead to the other one safely back to the top.

A Coastguard spokesman said: ’All three have had a very lucky escape as they were all in very dangerous positions on the cliff face.’

The call-out came at just after 2.45pm yesterday (Sunday).

Douglas all-weather lifeboat, Marine Engineer, was launched under the command of coxswain Tony Radcliffe and was quickly on the scene of the incident.

Volunteer crew members Robert Radcliffe and Michael Kaighen used the lifeboat’s inflatable dinghy to go ashore and then helped bring the two youths on board, one at a time.

They were then transferred to the lifeboat which made the short journey back to harbour where the Coastguard were waiting with the third child.

The RNLI said three reunited youths were none the worse for their experience.

The rescue operation took about one hour.

On the same day, Ramsey lifeboat was launched at the request of Belfast Coastguard to go the aid of a boat which had gearbox failure one mile due east of Ramsey harbour.

The volunteer lifeboat crew of the all-weather RNLB Anne and James Ritchie, towed the 8m vessel, with its crew of two, back to the harbour, arriving just after 9.45am.