A climber has died after falling from sea cliffs in Dorset.

Ivan Lissin, 22, of Oxford, died in Southampton General Hospital on Monday from severe head injuries sustained in a fall near Anvil Point, Swanage, the previous day.

Dorset Police picture of the Anvil Point site 

An inquest was opened and adjourned yesterday. Mr Lissin fell into the sea while free climbing.

Meanwhile, Dorset Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident that happened at the same time in which a woman fell to her death.

The 50-year-old woman from the Boscombe area of Bournemouth was seen falling from cliff about 400m from the site of the ongoing rescue operation involving the Coastguard helicopter.

The incidents happened just before 2pm on Sunday, 27 January, 200m west of the Anvil Point lighthouse.

Inspector Ashley Adams of the force’s Purbeck section, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the victim at this time.

“We’re looking for witnesses to come forward so that we can piece together her last movements and we’re releasing a picture – taken during the rescue – of the cliff top footpath where she fell in the hope that this will prompt witnesses to come forward.

“So far, our understanding of what happened is that the victim walked along the cliff path with an eight year old girl leaving the Durlston Country Park information centre at about lunchtime.

“They walked together along the cliff path and about 200 metres past the Anvil Point lighthouse we believe the woman then left the girl on the path as she walked towards the cliff – the woman then falling onto the rocks below.

“It was a bright sunny day and lots of people were enjoying a walk and I’d urge anyone who saw the woman and the little girl anywhere along the cliff path – either together or separately – to come forward.”

The victim was white, 50 years of age, 5 feet 2 inches tall and of slim build. She was wearing a pink pashmina headscarf, blue jeans and white trainers.

The eight-year-old girl is also white and she was wearing a dark parka jacket with a fur-lined hood, pink tracksuit trousers and white trainers with lights in the heels.

Inspector Adams said: “Witnesses are crucial to our enquiry and they will help us to build up a picture of what actually caused the woman to fall to her death from the Dorset coast path on Sunday afternoon.”
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The victim has yet to be formally identified by the coroner.