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Schoolchildren rescued from Kent beach after using phones as beacons Teenagers rescued from Kent beach after using phones as beacons
(about 2 hours later)
Dozens of schoolchildren trapped on a beach by the rising tide were rescued by helicopter and lifeboats after using their mobile phones as distress beacons. More than 30 teenagers trapped by the rising tide on a treacherous rocky shore when a coastal walk went dangerously wrong had to be rescued by helicopter and lifeboats after using their mobile phone torches as distress beacons.
The 34 teenagers were plucked from a hazardous stretch of the coast with falling rocks after getting lost during a walk on Monday night, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said. Thirty-four teenagers and two adults, believed to be from London, got into trouble after descending to the rocky shoreline from the coastal path between St Margaret’s Bay and Dover harbour on Monday night, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.
The hiking party, which included two adults, raised the alarm with Kent police at about 9pm after becoming disoriented as they followed a coastal path between St Margaret’s Bay and Dover harbour. They raised the alarm with Kent police shortly after 9pm, and were told to switch on their mobile phone torches as an air and sea rescue was launched.
Coastguards launched a search by air and sea involving a helicopter based at Lydd, Dover RNLI lifeboat, two Walmer RNLI lifeboats and Langdon coastguard rescue team. About 40 volunteers joined the “large-scale operation”. It is thought the hiking group had descended from the cliff path intending to take a shortcut back. When rescuers found them, they had split up into groups along the shore, which was strewn with large rocky boulders, as the tide came in and darkness fell.
Senior maritime operations officer Richard Cockerill said: “The group was advised to switch on their mobile phone lights to help us locate them. Rescuers found the group had separated and five people were unaccounted for. As 31 were taken to safety by lifeboat, crews searched for the missing teenagers, who were found after shouting to rescuers from the rocks and were winched to safety by helicopter. All were accounted for by 11pm. None required hospital treatment.
“The group was located by one of the Walmer lifeboats in an area of active cliff falls and also spotted by the helicopter using the forward-looking infrared camera. All 36 people were recovered to safety by lifeboat and helicopter.” Mark Finnis, Dover RNLI coxswain, said the whole group had been in great danger. “From what I can make out, they walked along the top of the cliff to St Margaret’s Bay from Dover. Once they got to St Margaret’s Bay, I’m understanding, they thought they would take a short cut back long the rocky shoreline.
A coastguard spokeswoman said the group were thought to have descended from cliffs on to the beach before becoming trapped by rising water. “It is very inhospitable. We are not talking about little rocks, There are some pretty hefty boulders down there. They weren’t dressed for it at all, didn’t have the correct footwear,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
When RNLI teams arrived at the scene they found the group had separated and four students were unaccounted for. A small craft was launched to pick up the pupils in groups as crews searched for the missing teenagers who were found after shouting to rescuers from the rocks. “Less than two hours later, they would have been swimming, because the tide is rising all the time. They were cut off by the tide. There is no footpath in this particular stretch of shoreline. It is purely a rocky walk.”
By the end of the rescue mission, 31 of the walkers were rescued by lifeboat and taken ashore. The remaining five were lifted to safety by helicopter and flown to the Dover coastguard station. He added it seemed the group were trying to reach an access from the beach to the cliff path that was no longer there. “It was always deemed a dangerous access, and it was probably taken away because of it.”
All were accounted for by 11pm, the coastguard said. The walkers were assessed by the South East Coast ambulance service, although none required hospital treatment. He added the group were in “high spirits” and had not seemed to appreciate the danger they were in, which was spelled out to them when they got back to Dover.
Mark Finnis, coxswain of Dover RNLI, said: “The group were caught out by a rising tide. Thankfully the quick and well coordinated search and rescue response meant all 36 casualties were rescued and were lucky to escape without serious injuries, but they’ve had a traumatic experience.” The RNLI said the group had walked passed nine warning signs warning them not to continue.
The Dover lifeboat station deputy launching authority, James Salmon, said: “As we approach the summer with lighter evenings, this incident highlights how easy it can be to get cut off by the tide whilst out walking. The group also faced the dangers of cliff falls along this iconic stretch of coastline. The coastguard launched an air and sea search involving a helicopter based at Lydd, Dover RNLI lifeboat, two Walmer RNLI lifeboats and Langdon coastguard rescue team.
“Surprisingly, the biggest risk when enjoying our coastline can be activities such as coastal walking and running. It’s easy to get caught out by unexpected tides and waves. Richard Cockerill, UK Coastguard senior maritime operations officer, said: “The group was advised to switch on their mobile phone lights to help us locate them. The group was located by one of the Walmer lifeboats in an area of active cliff falls and also spotted by the helicopter using the forward-looking infra-red camera.”
“We encourage people to keep themselves safe and treat water with respect by staying away from cliff edges and areas prone to cliff falls, sticking to marked paths and checking local hazards and safety information, such as tide times, before setting out.” Dover lifeboat station deputy launching authority James Salmon, said: “As we approach the summer with lighter evenings, this incident highlights how easy it can be to get cut off by the tide whilst out walking. The group also faced the dangers of cliff falls along this iconic stretch of coastline.”
The Shomrim, the Jewish neighbourhood watch organisation, said several of its volunteers had gone to Dover to assist the group.
Chaim Hochhauser, supervisor at Stamford Hill Shomrim in north London, said: “Volunteers from Stamford Hill Shomrim were called by a group of people stranded near the Dover cliffs as night was falling.
“Several Shomrim volunteers drove down from London to support the group and liaised with parents and families throughout the incident which thankfully ended well, thanks to the great work by RNLI and HM Coastguard.”