The air ambulance landed near a busy beach after a man suffered a “serious” fall between a cliff and a promenade.

There was a large emergency response to Sunny Sands in Folkestone after a man was found in a “severe state” in concrete tunnels.

Police, paramedics, fire service and the coastguard were all called to the scene on Saturday.

Not-for-profit organisation Folkestone Rescue also responded to the incident.

“Our station manager was alerted by a member of the public to a serious incident on Saturday at about 12.25pm,” the group posted on Facebook.

“A man had fallen from the promenade rear wall into the concrete tunnels below.

“With a rising 7.5-metre tide approaching the entrance, the situation was critical.

“Our station manager and two of our senior lifeguards swiftly responded grabbing lifesaving equipment.

“Once on scene the man's condition was assessed and found to be in a severe state.”

The group says medical aid was given immediately by its volunteers and the man was extracted from the tunnels to the promenade.

“Thanks to the hard work and coordination of all involved, the individual was safely airlifted from the scene,” Folkestone Rescue added.

“We are incredibly proud of our team's professionalism and composure under pressure, giving this man a fighting chance at life.

“Our thoughts remain with him and his family during this difficult time.

“We extend our gratitude to all the emergency services who assisted in this highly challenging rescue.”

An ambulance spokesperson says the patient had injuries consistent with falling from a height but could not provide any details on the man’s condition.

“We were called shortly before 12.30pm on Saturday to reports a person had fallen from height on Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone,” they said.

“Crews arrived and assessed and treated one patient before being joined by the air ambulance.

“The patient was then transported by road to William Harvey Hospital for further medical treatment.”