Stranded Woman Rescued After Tide Cuts Her Off at Blakeney Point
A woman sparked a major rescue after getting trapped by the tide on Blakeney Point, Norfolk, on Tuesday afternoon.
At around 4.15pm on October 26, she used Channel 16 to alert HM Coastguard. Unable to give her exact location, she reported being cut off by the incoming tide. A fixed-wing coastguard aircraft, already nearby on safety watch, launched a search. The RNLI lifeboat from Wells and the Wells Coastguard Rescue Team with their all-terrain vehicle also joined the hunt.
Narrow Escape: Spotted from the Sky
Rescuers soon spotted the woman waving from the deck of a small boat stuck in a shallow channel. With little water blocking the way, an RNLI crew member was sent on foot to reach her, guided by the fixed-wing aircraft flying nearly 1200 feet above, and a coastguard watching from a nearby vantage point.
Lost and Found: The Perils of Coastal Shortcuts
“We understand that this lady was walking the coastline of Britain and was attempting to take a shortcut through the harbour, but without a map she was lost and disorientated,” said Wells Station Officer John Crosthwaite. “We all worked together to find her and it was a great result.”
The crew member helped the woman off the boat and through the salt marsh to the Old Lifeboat Station. There, coastguards met them and escorted her safely back to the mainland.
Crucial Contact Saved Her Life
“It was lucky that she was able to contact the coastguard,” John added. “Her mobile phone was waterlogged and she had no other way of reaching us.”
He warned: “It’s a good reminder of how important it is to take care at the coast, use a map, and make sure you have a way of contacting us if you need us.”
Note: The rescue photo was taken from the fixed-wing aircraft nearly 1200 feet overhead, which is why it’s a bit blurry.
