Check tide timetables and make sure you have a phone to call for assistance is the advice from Ramsgate RNLI to people wanting to take a walk along Thanet’s coast.
The advice comes after the crew were called out this morning (April 2) to a second alert in less than 24 hours of people cut off by the tide at Dumpton Gap.
Yesterday the lifeboat was launched at 11.23am when a woman and her two children became trapped by the incoming tide. The crew brought the three to safety after the family waded into the water to get aboard the lifeboat.
This morning (April 2) the crew received reports of two women and two dogs cut off by the tide at the same spot.
Having searched the area for some time, they were then informed the casualties had made it safely ashore. Passers-by, including resident Paul Dennis, had intervened to bring the women and dogs to safety. Others helped keep them warm while they waited for the husband of one lady to arrive.
Resident Alison Brock said: “We stayed with them and kept them and one of the dogs, who was shaking like a leaf, warm until one of the husbands turned up to take them home. They were both soaked and I think one will have a few bruises as she fell over on the rocks in the water as she was trying to get ashore.”
The Coastguard released the Inshore Lifeboat to return to station.
maybe some sort of live signs up which update with tide information
I mentioned yesterday in the comments that maybe TDC should put signs up for the unwary visitors who would not know area at each bay where there is a chance of being cut off by tides. This would make sense as you see them up in other local authority areas. It would be standard safeguarding.