Police and coastguard teams investigate scene of fatal fall from north Highland cliff
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Police and coastguard teams last night returned to the area where 18-year-old Alesha Wright died.
Images captured by a local photographer show that the investigation at Victoria Walk in Thurso included a police helicopter along with at least five coastguard vehicles and numerous personnel near the top of the cliff face at around 7pm.
Ms Wright's death was referred to as "unexplained" by police in the aftermath of the incident in which a 26-year-old man was also involved.
He was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, having been injured.
The Daily Record has named him as Dominic Long.
The newspaper goes on to quote a "police source" who 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.”
Related article:
18-year-old woman dies after Thurso cliff fall – man taken to hospital
Ms Wright's mother (Deb Jo) told the John O'Groat Journal this week that her daughter did not seem depressed or anxious that day, and called her a "shy sweet girl".
"I just want to know how it happened," she added.
On Monday at around 5.50pm police officers were called to the Victoria Walk area in Thurso, following the report of a man and woman having fallen from a cliff.
The police statement released the next day said: “Emergency services and Coastguard attended but an 18-year-old woman had 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."
The Thurso lifeboat was launched to provide sea cover during Monday evening's incident, while Coastguard rescue teams from Wick, Scrabster and Duncansby were called out along with a search and rescue helicopter from Inverness.
Online tributes were sent from friends of the deceased with sentiments such as "Fly high gorgeous girl" and saying she was "such a beautiful soul inside and out".
Ms Wright's Facebook profile says she was originally from Newcastle upon Tyne and had studied at North Highland College UHI.
