Coastguard warning after man is rescued

COASTGUARDS HAVE issued a new warning about so-called tombstoning after a “very lucky” man was rescued by a lifeboat from the sea off the East Yorkshire coast.

A helicopter, lifeboat and land rescue teams were scrambled on Monday after reports a young man had been injured after jumping into the sea from cliffs at North Landing, Flamborough, near Bridlington.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the man was part of a group tombstoning from the cliffs and has released footage of the lifeboat at the scene.

Bev Allen, Coastguard controller based at Humber Coastguard Operations Centre, said: “On this occasion the man involved was very lucky that his mate knew to call 999 and ask for the coastguard.

“He did exactly the right thing. My team kept the caller on the line until the injured man was found.

“The man had managed to climb on to a rock ledge just above the waterline. The lifeboat crew were then able to recover him safely. Thankfully, despite his ordeal he had only suffered minor cuts and bruises.”

Ms Allen said: “Jumping from piers, cliffs, rocks or other structures into the sea can be very dangerous – there’s a reason we refer to it as tombstoning. The depth of water can dramatically change with the tide and you don’t know what hazards may be lurking under the surface.”