Just before 8:00 a.m., a sizable emergency response was launched in reaction to the event, involving the HM Coastguard, Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat, Police, Paramedics, and Firefighters.
It is believed that the vehicle veered off the road at Culver Down, close to the batteries, before slicing through the fence at the top of the cliff and over the grass.
Working with volunteers from the Independent Lifeboat, the Ventnor and Bembridge Coastguard Rescue Teams sent a cliff man to the wreckage below.
The Isle of Wight Ambulance Service and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service rushed to Yaverland but were not needed.
This lunchtime, a Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson stated:
“We received a call around 7:30 a.m. regarding reports of a car driving down a cliff close to Culver Down Road.
“Emergency personnel responded to the scene and determined that a woman inside the automobile had tragically passed away.
Her death is not being investigated,
Emergency personnel, such as the Police Marine Unit, have been working to collect the woman’s body from the bottom of the 300-foot cliff and bring her back to the Lifeboat Station today.
A file will now be created for the coroner and her family has been informed.
The vehicle is still there, at the base of the cliff. Whether it will be salvaged or left to the elements is uncertain at this time.
