Don’t attempt self-rescue; call 999 and ask for the Coastguard

A Coastguard rescue helicopter rescued three men from the sea off Bude this evening, after one was cut off by the tide and the other two got into difficulty attempting to rescue him.

The UK Coastguard received a 999 call from a member of the public at 9.20 pm reporting that the three were in difficulty. Two of the men had been walking back to shore when one became cut off by the tide and was left clinging to rocks. A passerby, along with the second man, attempted to rescue the third man from the sea, but they got into difficulty too.

The UK Coastguard sent the Bude Coastguard Rescue Team to the scene, requested the launch of the Bude and Padstow RNLI lifeboats and scrambled a Coastguard rescue helicopter. Due to the high surf on scene, the decision was made to winch all three men from the sea and rocks by Coastguard helicopter. Two of them have now been taken to hospital and the third was dropped off on shore.

“This incident could so easily have turned into a really tragic one”, says Alan Pickersgill for the UK Coastguard. “If you see someone in difficulty at sea or along the Coast please immediately call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. If you are going out for a walk along the shore make sure that you check the tide times – you will often see this information at the entry to beaches or check it online - and ensure that you are back in plenty of time.”

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