Crews from Burnham-On-Sea Coastguards and BARB Search & Rescue were called out on Friday afternoon (December 20th) amid concern for a person in the sea.
A walker on the beach had contacted Coastguards after spotting the person in the water near the lower lighthouse.
A Burnham Coastguard spokesman said: “Using binoculars we established a lookout point on the seawall as it gives a great view across that part of the beach which means we can establish if the person is in difficulty or not.”
“When this is possible it is normally done while other members of the team are getting ready and an accurate situation assessment can be carried out quickly and the best plan of action can be made.”
“BARB were tasked alongside us, they took one of their 4×4 trucks along the road to a vantage point for an alternative view of the person but from the initial lookout point we were very happy that the person was not cut off but enjoying a bracing bit of festive fishing.”
“From certain angles, it can look like the person has been cut off by the tide along that stretch of beach due to the two sandbars that run North from the Lower Lighthouse parallel with each other.”
“With the visual of the person we had and with further confirmation from the BARB team who had made their way along the road that all was good we were stood down by the Coastguard Operations Centre (CGOC).”
He added: “This was a good call by the member of public as with the prevailing winds and rain we have been experiencing, if they were cut off they would have at some point ended up entering the water which is very cold this time of year.”
