Two women rescued at base of Beachy Head, Eastbourne

The Coastguard said it received a 999 call from a kayaker who had spotted the two women in trouble, one of whom had climbed up the cliff to escape from the rising tide, just east of Beachy Head Lighthouse.

A major rescue operation was then launched, with Newhaven, Eastbourne and Birling Gap Coastguard Rescue Teams called out to rescue the pair, along with the Coastguard helicopter and Eastbourne RNLI Inshore Lifeboat.

The two women were about 50 metres apart and one of them had climbed some way up the cliff to stay out of the water.

The Coastguard said one of the women was rescued by the lifeboat and temporarily transferred to a local fishing boat and the other was winched to safety by the helicopter.

The helicopter then collected the first woman from the fishing boat and delivered her to dry land, a spokesperson for the Coastguard said.

The coastguard rescue teams then helped to co-ordinate the rescue and received both women at Cow Gap.

The Coastguard said they were also prepared to deploy their rope rescue equipment, should the helicopter have been unable to safely winch the second woman from the cliff face.

Following yesterday’s rescue operation, the Coastguard is now reminding people to check tide times before they set out on cliff or coastal walks.

Julia Fuller, senior coastal operations officer for HM Coastguard, said: “We are very relieved that the two women were rescued safely and, although a little shaken by the experience, none the worse for their ordeal.

"They were very fortunate that the kayaker happened to see them and called 999.

“If you’re going for a coastal walk this weekend go exploring as the tide is going out, make sure you have time to get back and know when the tide is going to be coming in. If you get caught out by a rising tide, find a safe location, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”