Girl talks of cliff plunge escape

An 11-year-old girl who jumped out of a car moments before it rolled down a sheer cliff face and crashed on rocks below says she is lucky to be alive.

VIDEO HERE

Paige Dean escaped from the car which was rolling out of control down a 250ft (76m) hill just seconds before it went over the edge at Benllech, Anglesey.

The schoolgirl had been sitting in the car listening to music when she accidentally knocked off the handbrake.

Paige, from Kinmel Bay, Denbighshire, said: "I have never been so scared."

Paige, who was later treated for shock, was on holiday with her grandparents at the Golden Sunset caravan park.

I thought 'I've got to get out' and I jumped out and saw the car fall off the cliff Paige Dean

She was listening to music in the car when she accidentally knocked off the brake and despite frantic attempts, she could not pull it back up.

The car started rolling towards the edge of the cliff, gaining momentum.

It ran over two unoccupied tents as it neared the edge.

With moments to spare, Paige managed to open the car door and fling herself to safety.

"I dropped my phone down the side of the car and when I reached over to get it I accidentally knocked the brake off," she explained.

"I was rolling towards the edge of the cliff and I was petrified.

"I thought 'I've got to get out' and I jumped out and saw the car fall off the cliff.

"I definitely would have died. I have never been so scared."

Her grandmother Marie Dean, who looks after Paige and her brother Cameron, seven, saw the incident.

"I could not believe what was happening. I ran after the car and I saw her jump out. But my husband Billy didn't realise and shouted 'she's gone'," she said.

Marie Dean spoke of her relief after Paige's lucky escape

"My whole body went numb and I ran over to Paige and held her as she cried.

"God was looking down on us," she said.

Dave Massey, a paramedic and RNLI volunteer in Moelfre, was one of the first on the scene on Saturday at 1615 BST.

"It is a miracle she survived and that she had the presence of mind to jump out at the last second.

"There is no doubt that she would never have survived that fall," he said.

The vehicle plummeted down the sheer drop and crashed into rocks before being submerged in water.

Paige was taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital in Bangor by ambulance and had treatment for shock.

Mrs Dean said she was now on the lookout for a new car, and the police were recovering hers from the sea on Sunday.