'Exhausted' pair left clinging to cliff edge after being caught out by high tide

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A huge rescue mission was scrambled after two casualties became trapped on a cliff edge. The pair had tried to scale the 'near vertical cliff' from the beach below after being caught out by the rising tide on Sunday.

Staithes Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) attended the scene at Kettleness, North Yorkshire, at 3.30pm. Runswick Bay Rescue Boat was also called out to determine the exact location of the climbers so cliff technicians from Staithes CRT could safely retrieve them, Teesside Live reports.

A spokesperson for Staithes Coastguard said: "They found two people clinging onto the near vertical cliff, having climbed from the beach after being cut off by the rising tide."The Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) secured the casualties and recovered them to the the clifftop."Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team was paged to assist, and Whitby CROs worked alongside Staithes CROs to make the rescue safe and effective."Runswick Bay Rescue Boat stood offshore giving safety cover in heavy swell with an onshore wind throughout the late afternoon and into the early evening."The spokesperson added that the casualties were "exhausted but unharmed" and were able to make their own way home.The incident prompted a safety warning to visitors."If you are visiting the coast, be sure to check the tides and allow yourself plenty of time to get off the beach and to safety before you risk being cut off, and for all emergencies on the coast dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard," the spokesperson added.Earlier in the day, coastguard crews had completed four hours of rope rescue skills training for just such a scenario. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.