Coastguard teams rescue stranded walkers 100ft up Filey Brigg cliff in North Yorkshire
Coastguard teams rescued a man and woman clinging to a cliff “by their fingernails” after they were trapped by the tide.
The pair were stranded 100ft up Filey Brigg, a peninsula in North Yorkshire, as they tried to climb the cliff to escape the tide, which cut them off as they walked the beach, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.
They were spotted by a member of the public shortly before 4pm on Tuesday before a Coastguard rescue team from Filey and Bridlington, Coastguard helicopter and Filey RNLI Lifeboat were dispatched.
Matt Atkinson, from HM Coastguard, said: “When the Coastguard teams arrived on scene the man and woman were clinging on by their fingernails so we knew that we had to act fast.
“The two teams set up to execute two rescues side by side, quickly ensuring that the two people were made safe.
“Once the teams knew that the man and woman were not going to fall, they were able to slowly bring them up the other 50ft of the cliffs to the top.
“They were checked over at the top and are safe and well.
“If you are going out for a walk along the beach, please do check the tide times and ensure that you are back before the tide comes in. If you do get stuck, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
“Don’t attempt to climb up cliffs – they can be crumbly and slippery and you may make your situation even worse.”
Filey Brigg, a site of Special Scientific Interest, is characterised by steep cliffs and situated roughly one mile north of Filey town.