Police investigating the death of a teenager who fell 50ft from a cliff are waiting to quiz her boyfriend, who is critically ill in hospital.
Alesha Wright died after the incident in Thurso, Caithness, on Monday night which also left her 26-year-old partner with serious injuries. An air ambulance and coastguard crews attended but the 18-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dominic Long, who was with her, is being treated in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. It is understood he is in a critical condition.
Alesha’s death is being treated as “unexplained” but police sources said officers are hoping to speak to Dominic, who is understood to have suffered a broken shoulder and other injuries, as soon as possible. They aim to establish what caused the pair to fall from Victoria Walk, a beauty spot.
A police source said: “We want to speak to Mr Long to establish the circumstances leading up to the fall. We have been canvassing for witnesses in the area at the time and will be tracing anyone who may have seen anything relevant to our investigation.
"We know Alesha spoke to her mum just a few hours before and was her usual self, there was nothing in her manner to suggest anything of concern. The family quite rightly just want to know how this has happened and we are making every effort to ensure we can provide them with answers.”
Tributes to Alesha have been posted across social media. The teen was described as a “sweet shy girl” by her mum, Deb Jo.
Dominic’s brother, Liam wrote on Facebook: “She was my sister, I thought her and my brother would be together forever, it breaks me to think how he must be feeling, if I lost the girl I loved I wouldn’t want to live any more.”
Friend Mary Dasent wrote: “Alesha, I never got to see you grow up to be the beautiful girl you turned out to be. Heaven has gained a beautiful angel you have always been in my thoughts. Sleep tight sweet angel.
“My condolences to Debbie and family can’t imagine how you all feeling. My thoughts with you all.’
Margaret Mackenzie said: “Such a delightful young girl, taken too soon.”
Lifeboat crews confirmed they were called to the scene shortly after 6pm on Monday night. In a post on the Thurso Lifeboat team said: “The Y boat was beached and the two crew members quickly located the two casualties, one male and one female.
“The crew members attended to them until the arrival of a paramedic who was winched down from the search and rescue helicopter from Inverness.
"The young man was winched up by the helicopter to a waiting ambulance. The female casualty was transferred to a stretcher and taken by the Y boat to The Taylors and then taken to Scrabster where she was transferred into the care of Police Scotland.”
Police Scotland said: “Around 5.50pm on Monday, July 11, 2022, officers were called to the Victoria Walk area in Thurso, following a report of a man and woman having fallen from a cliff. Emergency services and Coastguard attended but an 18-year-old woman died.
“Her next of kin have been informed. Her death is being treated as unexplained and enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing. A 26-year-old man was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for treatment.”
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