Burnham-On-Sea Coastguards and a lifeboat crew were called out on Monday evening (May 6th) to help rescue a lady and two dogs cut off by the incoming tide near Kilve.
RNLI crews from Minehead and Burnham-On-Sea were called out by HM Coastguard at 4.50pm and Burnham’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat was launched from the jetty shortly after 5pm.
Minehead’s lifeboats were also launched to help the woman, who was stranded at the bottom of cliffs between Kilve and Lilstock.
On arrival at the scene, the D-class, with its shallower draft, took a Burnham crew member and landed onshore to assist the casualty, who had been at risk because of the swift incoming tide with an hour to go before high water.
The casualty and her dogs were passed over to the Minehead lifeboat and then transported to Watchet where the local Watchet Coastguard team was waiting to support her.
After being stood down by Milford Haven Coastguard, the Burnham-On-Sea crew returned their lifeboat to Burnham slipway and recovery by the station shore team.
A Watchet Coastguard spokesperson adds: “Just before 5pm our team were tasked following a 999 call to Avon and Somerset Police reporting a dog walker cut off by the tide and already in the water between Kilve and Lilstock with the tall cliffs preventing escape to safety.”
“Our team immediately started to set up for a rope (cliff rescue) due to the concerns for a water extraction due to the Lee shore conditions at the base of the cliff, however on arrival at scene by the Minehead RNLI Lifeboat Station Atlantic 85 lifeboat deemed an extraction using the smaller D Class lifeboat as an option. The Burnham RNLI Lifeboat also had now arrived on scene.”
It was Volunteer Launch Authority Nigel’s first call-out since recently qualifying as a Launch Authority here in Burnham.
Pictured: The Burnham-On-Sea lifeboat launching from the town’s jetty and the rescue underway near Kilve on Sunday evening
