Coastguard spot trapped families during exercise and direct rescue

AN EXERCISE turned into the real thing for Coastguards yesterday when seven people trapped by the incoming tide were plucked to safety by lifeboatmen on the treacherous Solway Firth.

The alarm was raised by members of the Portling Coastguard team who were on a training exercise and spotted the seven men and women and two dogs walking on the sands between popular Sandyhills holiday beach five miles south of Dalbeattie in Kirkcudbrightshire.

The Coastguards alerted control at Liverpool and a major rescue got under way.

The RNLI Kippford inshore lifeboat was called out and sped to where the families were trying to get to higher ground.

Dozens of holidaymakers at Sandyhills saw the drama as coastguards directed the crew.

The men and women are believed to have gone out at low tide over a burn on to the mudflats.

But the Southwick Burn fills quickly as the tide flows in and often cuts unsuspecting people off from the shore.

The lifeboat made two runs to pick up the people and brought them to the beach at Sandyhills uninjured but shaken.

A coastguard spokesman said: "The tide was coming in and was backed by a strong wind. It could have turned into a tragedy but the quick action of the rescue services prevented it."