Walkers winched to safety

TWO people had to be airlifted to safety after they got cut off by the tide at a Cornish beach.

The pair, who were exploring the beach and caves at Tregantle Beach, realised they were in trouble and scrambled onto the rocks to escape the incoming tide.

A 999 call was then made to the Coastguard at around 6.15pm on Thursday, sparking a large rescue mission.

Two RNLI lifeboats from Looe were sent to help, along with Looe, Tamar and Plymouth Coastguard Rescue Teams.

When rescue crews arrived they established it was “impossible” to reach the walkers with a boat due to the rough sea conditions and the HM Coastguard helicopter was sent from Newquay.

The walkers said they climbed on rocks under the cliffs to escape the tide when they realised the tide was coming in and cut off their exit.

They were winched to safety. A spokesperson for the HM Coastguard said: “Always check the weather and tides before you set out so that you can plan your trip at the coast safely.”