Two men have been winched to safety from an Australian cliff, after falling onto a steep ledge leaving them perched precariously above the ocean 160ft (50m) below. The unnamed pair in their 20s had to be rescued from the Wedding Cake Rock in the Royal National Park in Sydney.

One man suffered serious spinal injuries in the fall. He was airlifted to hospital after being treated for head injuries at the scene. The other man got stuck on the ledge after attempting to rescue his friend.

The pair were winched to safety
A rescue helicopter moves in on two men trapped on a ledge 50 metres above the sea in Sydney

Parts of the Wedding Cake Rock were closed to the public earlier this year after too many tourists were found taking dangerous pictures on the edge. The National Parks and Wildlife Service said in June that the rock was "precariously balancing on the edge of the cliff".

Australia: Footage shows dramatic cliff top rescue
An aerial shot of the rescue reveals how precarious the cliff-edge on the Wedding Cake Rock in Sydney actually is Reuters
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