Lifeboat crews rescue partygoers on island cut off twice from mainland by rising tides

AROUND 160 partygoers had to be rescued by lifeboat crews when they became stranded on Cramond Island when the tide came in.

The large group had gathered on the island on Saturday afternoon for a party which was advertised on social networking sites.

But when the causeway – which they had walked across earlier in the afternoon to get to the island – became completely covered by the rising tide from around 5pm, the revellers were completely cut-off from the mainland.

They began to panic and called emergency services to help them.

Although most of them were removed on Saturday night, it understood some remained on the island.

About 70 people walked to the mainland when the tide went out between 1:30am and 5:30am.

The remainder were picked up by boat when the island was again cut off from the mainland by the tide at 5:30am.

One female member of the group had to be given medical assistance at the scene at around 7am on Sunday after "falling ill".

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed that six people had been given medical help for hypothermia following the morning rescue mission.

The Forth Coastguard, Queensferry Coastguard and Kinghorn lifeboat crew led the rescue operation at the request of the police.