Mum 'shaken to core' after nightmare trip
It’s a horror scenario for any parent. To see your kids in danger and be powerless to help them.
But fortunately for Katie, HM Coastguard was on hand to 'save three lives’ on the day her worst nightmare came to life.
The visiting university professor from America and her two teenage boys, Henry and Sam, were rescued by the coastguard helicopter from a disappearing beach in the nick of time earlier this year, after struggling to raise an alarm.
The family of three, on a day trip from London, were out exploring the fossil-rich beaches of the Seven Sisters white cliffs when they noticed the beach receding and the tide coming in.
All it took was the slightest of miscalculations, about the time it would take to reach their destination – and safe escape off a beach bordered by the sea on one side and a cliff face of at least 50 metres height on the other – to leave the family in dire danger.
And struggling for phone signal to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
“We were having a great time looking at the rocks and fossils,” Katie said. “I’m an archaeologist so there was a lot to enjoy. In my mind, we wanted to get to Birling Gap and then walk back across the top of the cliffs.
"The tide had started to come in, so we sped up a bit, but then it started to really come in and the path between coves disappeared – I thought we had more time than we did.
“We became stuck on the beach with nowhere to go. We even tried to get round the headland through the water and Henry made it round but, when it was my turn, a wave hit me and smashed me against the rocks, and I realised I couldn’t make it – I was gasping for breath.
“Terrifying doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I was separated from my son Henry, I couldn’t see or hear him, I didn’t know if he was ok, and the land we were standing on was disappearing.
“I was shaken to my core, and I had reached my limit – all I could see was this fierce wall of water moving towards us and rescue was still a long way away. I made a terrible misjudgement and there is no doubt that HM Coastguard saved mine, and my children’s, lives that day.”
Katie said that son Sam was the one to then point out that they needed to call for help. But, to make matters worse, they could not get a mobile signal at the base of the huge cliff.
“We did get through eventually,” she explained, “but they couldn’t hear us. We were soaked through, freezing cold and it was raining quite hard by now, and we were starting to lose hope.
“Help was so close but so far away.”
In a further twist, two other people had also called for help at Seven Sisters at the same time, leaving teams temporarily unsure how many people needed help. Police found and reached the other two, but poor weather hampered efforts to locate Kathryn and family – before the lifeboat finally spotted them on the beach.
The crew realised they would struggle to safely reach shore in the strong waves, and the helicopter from Lydd was called to winch the three to safety.
“We saw the boat in the distance, and we started shouting and waving but we didn’t know if they’d seen us,” Katie said. “But then they started to come towards us, and we knew they’d seen us. It was the biggest relief ever.
“It was clearly very difficult conditions and yet they were still making their way to us. They started shouting to us, but we couldn’t hear them.
“Then we heard the chopper and understood what they were saying. The helicopter was coming to get us.
“That was the first moment I thought ‘we’re going to make our way out of this’, I think I had resigned myself to thinking we were going to die.”
She added that the helicopter crew were ‘incredible’, with a cheerful and confident demeanour that instantly made the family feel safe.
“I’m in awe,” she said. “The crew worked as this one multi-armed team; they were incredible. But it wasn’t just them – I know there were teams out on the cliffs looking for us, and the lifeboat too.
“They all put their lives in danger that day to save ours.
“Words can’t really explain what that means to us. We’re alive. And we would not be without them.”
Katie added that she learned a lot in the harrowing experience and said she would never again go to a beach without checking the local safety advice.
If you’re planning a walk to our coasts, please ensure you are prepared.
But fortunately for Katie, HM Coastguard was on hand to 'save three lives’ on the day her worst nightmare came to life.
The visiting university professor from America and her two teenage boys, Henry and Sam, were rescued by the coastguard helicopter from a disappearing beach in the nick of time earlier this year, after struggling to raise an alarm.
The family of three, on a day trip from London, were out exploring the fossil-rich beaches of the Seven Sisters white cliffs when they noticed the beach receding and the tide coming in.
 |
| The camera on the Coastguard helicopter from Lydd captured the moment the crew winched the family to safety |
All it took was the slightest of miscalculations, about the time it would take to reach their destination – and safe escape off a beach bordered by the sea on one side and a cliff face of at least 50 metres height on the other – to leave the family in dire danger.
And struggling for phone signal to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
“We were having a great time looking at the rocks and fossils,” Katie said. “I’m an archaeologist so there was a lot to enjoy. In my mind, we wanted to get to Birling Gap and then walk back across the top of the cliffs.
"The tide had started to come in, so we sped up a bit, but then it started to really come in and the path between coves disappeared – I thought we had more time than we did.
“We became stuck on the beach with nowhere to go. We even tried to get round the headland through the water and Henry made it round but, when it was my turn, a wave hit me and smashed me against the rocks, and I realised I couldn’t make it – I was gasping for breath.
“Terrifying doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I was separated from my son Henry, I couldn’t see or hear him, I didn’t know if he was ok, and the land we were standing on was disappearing.
“I was shaken to my core, and I had reached my limit – all I could see was this fierce wall of water moving towards us and rescue was still a long way away. I made a terrible misjudgement and there is no doubt that HM Coastguard saved mine, and my children’s, lives that day.”
Katie said that son Sam was the one to then point out that they needed to call for help. But, to make matters worse, they could not get a mobile signal at the base of the huge cliff.
“We did get through eventually,” she explained, “but they couldn’t hear us. We were soaked through, freezing cold and it was raining quite hard by now, and we were starting to lose hope.
“Help was so close but so far away.”
Meanwhile, coastguard call operators had already mobilised rescue teams to the area after receiving the first cut off call; with the Newhaven, Birling Gap and Eastbourne Coastguard Rescue Teams and the Newhaven RNLI all-weather lifeboat responding. Further calls then helped to narrow down their exact location.
In a further twist, two other people had also called for help at Seven Sisters at the same time, leaving teams temporarily unsure how many people needed help. Police found and reached the other two, but poor weather hampered efforts to locate Kathryn and family – before the lifeboat finally spotted them on the beach.
The crew realised they would struggle to safely reach shore in the strong waves, and the helicopter from Lydd was called to winch the three to safety.
“We saw the boat in the distance, and we started shouting and waving but we didn’t know if they’d seen us,” Katie said. “But then they started to come towards us, and we knew they’d seen us. It was the biggest relief ever.
“It was clearly very difficult conditions and yet they were still making their way to us. They started shouting to us, but we couldn’t hear them.
“Then we heard the chopper and understood what they were saying. The helicopter was coming to get us.
“That was the first moment I thought ‘we’re going to make our way out of this’, I think I had resigned myself to thinking we were going to die.”
She added that the helicopter crew were ‘incredible’, with a cheerful and confident demeanour that instantly made the family feel safe.
“I’m in awe,” she said. “The crew worked as this one multi-armed team; they were incredible. But it wasn’t just them – I know there were teams out on the cliffs looking for us, and the lifeboat too.
“They all put their lives in danger that day to save ours.
“Words can’t really explain what that means to us. We’re alive. And we would not be without them.”
Katie added that she learned a lot in the harrowing experience and said she would never again go to a beach without checking the local safety advice.
If you’re planning a walk to our coasts, please ensure you are prepared.
- If the weather is looking nice and you're planning a dip in the water – check out our Sea Swimming safety advice and remember: Cold Water Shock can kill.
- Make sure you check the weather and tides to check it is safe to head out, wear appropriate footwear and clothing for your activity, know the sea conditions and stick to coastal paths.
- If you take your dog out with you, keep it on a lead at the coast especially near cliff edges. If they get stuck on a ledge, in mud or swept out to sea, don’t go after them. Most dogs make it back safely, but you might not. People often put themselves in danger in a rescue attempt.
- Carry a mobile phone so that you have a way of making contact in an emergency and make sure you tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.
- Cliffs can be more unstable than they look, and cliff falls or landslides can happen without warning. Take note and adhere to local warning signs. The cliffs along the UK coastline are continuously eroding, stay away from the edge which could be crumbly or slippery and do not climb cliffs as a short cut to the top. Periods of intense rainfall will often make cliff edges more vulnerable.
- Don’t ever be tempted to stand near the edge to take a ‘selfie’ as it may be the last photo you ever take.
