A coroner’s court has heard a former Royal Marine died of multiple injuries after falling from height, while rock climbing at Anvil Point near Swanage, Dorset in May 2025.
The inquest into the death of Paul Logan, 55 year old company director from Eastbourne in East Sussex, was opened and adjourned by Dorset coroner Brendan Allen at a hearing in Bournemouth on Tuesday 5th August 2025.
The inquest was opened at Bournemouth Civic Centre in Dorset, and will be heard in full in October 2025
No suspicious circumstances
Coroner’s officer Nicola Muller told the court:
“On Thursday 15th May 2025, Paul Logan was rock climbing in Swanage and sadly fell from height.
“Paramedics attended and confirmed that Mr Logan was deceased, Dorset Police also attended and confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances or third party involvement.
“A post mortem examination was conducted by Dr Adnan Al Badri, who recorded the medical cause of death as multiple injuries due to a fall from significant height.”
The inquest was adjourned to be heard in full on Thursday 9th October 2025 when statements from his family, his GP doctor, and police will be heard.
The Swanage inshore lifeboat was first to launch and quickly headed across Durlston Bay to Anvil Point
Swanage’s all weather lifeboat launched shortly afterwards and followed in the path of the inshore lifeboat
Second climber safely rescued
The incident which involved Paul Logan and another climber, triggered a multi agency response including the air ambulance, coastguard helicopter, ambulance paramedics, three lifeboats, police, and volunteer coastguard teams.
At the time of the incident, it was reported that following the fall, Paul Logan was recovered from the sea by Swanage’s inshore lifeboat crew.
He was then transferred to the larger Shannon class all weather lifeboat, where he received emergency treatment.
From there he was airlifted by coastguard helicopter Rescue 175 to paramedics at the air ambulance, which had landed at the top of the cliffs.
He received further medical attention from the air ambulance paramedics but sadly was declared dead at the scene. Coastguard teams from Lulworth, St Albans and Swanage assisted at Anvil Point.
The second climber had been in the sea but had made it safely to shore. He was rescued from rocks at the bottom of the cliff by Swanage’s D class inshore lifeboat crew and then transfered to the RNLI’s Severn class lifeboat 17-27.
The Severn class, which had been travelling to Poole when it took a detour to assist in the emergency, took the second man to Swanage Lifeboat Station.
Both Swanage’s Shannon lifeboat and the larger Severn lifeboat returned to Swanage Bay after the incident
Almost sheer cliff face
Anvil Point along the Purbeck coastline from Swanage, has an almost sheer vertical cliff face and is especially difficult to climb, even for experienced climbers. It has been the scene of a number of accidents in the last three years.
The safety and integrity of the two men’s climbing equipment will come under scrutiny at the full inquest in October 2025.
The coastguard helicopter is often called in to assist climbers in trouble at Anvil Point due to its remote location and level of difficulty
