Two climbers have been winched to safety after one of them fell 15 metres onto a rock ledge above ocean swell at a popular climbing spot off Tasmania's south-east coast.
Police said the pair were rescued from a "challenging location" on the popular Totem Pole climb at Cape Hauy about 7:30pm on Tuesday and one of the climbers suffered "extensive injuries" from their fall.
The climbers, whose names have not been released, became stranded on a ledge approximately 250 metres from the top of the cape, on the Tasman Peninsula.
"One of the men was lead climbing when he fell approximately 15 metres and sustained extensive injuries," police said in a statement.
Both climbers were flown to the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The second climber was uninjured, police said.
The area is popular with sightseers and climbers, with The Candlestick and Totem Pole key features of the local attractions.
Several climbers have been injured on the 65-metre-tall Totem Pole column over the years.
In February 2019, 26-year-old man suffered spinal injuries attempting to cross from the Totem Pole to Cape Hauy.
A group of six climbers was rescued from the base of The Candlestick at Cape Hauy in December 2019.
Well-known climber Paul Pritchard nearly died trying to climb the Totem Pole in 1998, and 18 years later he returned and successfully conquered the slender sea stack on Tasmania's east coast.
