A volunteer RNLI crew from Staithes saved two people after they were cut off by the tide in North Yorkshire.

The RNLI team were alerted to the incident at Kettleness by HM Coastguard at 3.24pm on Sunday (November 3).

The two people, who realised they were becoming cut off by the tide, dialled 999 to ask for help.

Staithes and Runswick RNLI's Atlantic 85 B-Class lifeboat Sheila and Dennis Tongue III arrived on the scene quickly and located the casualties, who were using the light of the torch on their mobile phone to attract attention.

Finding a sheltered part of the bay, volunteer Helm Lee Jackson said: "We used a technique known as anchoring and veering to bring the lifeboat safely closer to the shore."

One volunteer crew member swam ashore and recovered the casualties one by one to the lifeboat.

While wet and cold, the casualties were fine and were brought back to the lifeboat station, where they were assessed by the Lifeboat Medical Officer and warmed up in the crew room.

Staithes and Runswick RNLI lifeboat and flank station Redcar RNLI lifeboat’s volunteer crews both launched to casualties who had been cut off by the tide in the same afternoon.

When planning a day at the beach, prioritise your safety. Check tide tables and be aware of the tide’s direction to avoid getting cut off. This simple preparation can prevent a dangerous situation arising.

If you don't keep an eye on the tide, you could get stranded. As the tide comes in, moving up the beach might not be enough to stay safe. For example, if you’ve walked around a rocky outcrop, the rising water can quickly block your way back.

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You can find out more information about tides in your area through tide tables, or on apps, or weather, news or local websites.

Lee added: "The casualties did exactly the right thing in ringing 999 and asking for the Coastguard when they realised that they were cut off."

If you find yourself or anyone in difficulty dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. For more information visit; https://rnli.org/safety