TWO PEOPLE CUT OFF BY TIDE AT SEAFORD
Two people were rescued by helicopter from Splash Point
near Seaford Head in East Sussex this afternoon after becoming cut off by the
tide in an area inaccessible to either the RNLI lifeboat or the Coastguard Water
Rescue team.
A member of the public contacted Solent Coastguard at
11.50 am reporting that they could see what they thought was two children at
the end of the esplanade at Seaford, who were waving and shouting for help with
the tide coming in around them. Solent
Coastguard sent the Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Team to the scene and requested
the launch of the Newhaven RNLI lifeboat.
The lifeboat arrived on scene at 12.15 pm but unfortunately the sea
conditions were too rough for them to safely access the beach where the two
people were stranded. They also assessed
the conditions and concluded that it would be unsafe for a Coastguard team to
attempt access to the area on foot. As a consequence, and having consulted with the Air Rescue Coordination Centre
(ARCC) at Kinloss, Solent Coastguard scrambled the Coastguard helicopter. The Newhaven Coastguard rescue team arrived
on scene at 12.45 and assisted in preparing a landing site for the helicopter
on the golf course above the cliffs. The
two adults, aged 25 and 26, were airlifted to the golf course unharmed with no
medical attention required, and given safety advice by Coastguard officers.
Solent Coastguard Watch Officer Liz Hanson said:
“The two people involved in this incident were local to
Slough but visiting the coast for the day when they became cut off by the
tide. They were not aware of the nature
of the tides and, being originally from Lithuania, they were also not aware of
the emergency telephone numbers, so they were lucky they were spotted by
members of the public who were able to raise the alarm. We always advise members of the public to
check the tide times before setting out on a coastal walk, and if they do get
into difficulty, to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”