Two people rescued from cliffs in large swell conditions

Two people have been rescued by rope from Towan Beach after being cut off by the tide during large swell conditions.

Newquay and Padstow Coastguard Rescue Teams were called at around 7:30pm on Tuesday night, half an hour before high tide, to reports of people trapped by the sea.

Newquay Coastguard said a technical rope rescue was set up and carried out on the cliffs near the Killacourt. A rope technician was lowered down, and both casualties were rescued one at a time and brought safely to the top of the cliff without injury.

A spokesperson for Padstow Coastguard said:

“Two people were exploring the beach and got cut off by the surging stormy spring tide. They were safely on a ledge but needed recovering in case any more unexpected surges occurred.
The teams carefully identified the safest part of the cliff to rig for recovery. An indirect rope rescue system was put in place and a CRO Tech was deployed over the cliff. Two rotations were carried out, bringing one casualty at a time back up the cliff to a place of safety.
The casualties didn’t require any medical intervention. Safety advice was offered to the casualties and their families.”

There were multiple call-outs for Coastguard volunteers yesterday, including assistance given to lifeguards and the ambulance service with stretchering a casualty off the same beach earlier in the day.

The Coastguard also carried out high-visibility patrols of the coast.

The incidents come after very large surf, spring high tides and strong rip currents prompted warnings for people to visit lifeguarded beaches and follow safety advice from crews.