A MAN was rescued by emergency teams early today after the car he was in plunged over cliffs near Scarborough.

A major search and rescue operation was mounted by police, coastguard, fire and rescue officers and members of the North York Moors search and rescue team after the blue BMW saloon containing two men went over the cliff top at Cayton Bay, near Osgoodby Point, just south of Scarborough, at about 10.15pm last night.

When emergency services arrived at the scene they found the empty car part way down the cliffs.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "The passenger was found wandering nearby with minor injuries. However, the driver of the vehicle could not initially be traced."

Backed by the West Yorkshire Police helicopter, the rescue teams scoured the area.

Just after 1am today, the police helicopter pinpointed a heat source some distance down the cliff, an estimated 300 feet from the road.

Rescuers and members of North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service moved in on the location and found the man alive and conscious.

They moved him out of the thick undergrowth and he was winched to safety by the air/sea rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield.

He was then airlifted to Scarborough District Hospital, where he was today being kept in for observation.

"His injuries, luckily, are not serious," said the police spokesman. Both the men who had been in the car were from the Scarborough area.

A Humber Coastguard spokesman said it appeared the passenger had managed to get out of the car before it went over the cliff but the driver had gone over with the vehicle.

The passenger was treated by paramedics at the scene.

The spokesman said the driver had been in a "very distressed state" when he was found.

"How the hell he got out of it alive, I do not know," he said.

Police said it was not known at this stage what caused the car to leave the A165 and go over the cliff. The point at which the drama took place was said to be a notorious accident blackspot where a number of cars have gone over the cliff.

Updated: 11:15 Friday, February 08, 2002