Boys lucky to be alive after RAF cliffside rescue

COASTGUARDS have issued a stark warning to walkers about being caught out by the tide, after two teenagers narrowly avoided disaster when they became stranded on a cliff edge.

The terrified pair, aged 15 and 16, were dramatically winched to safety as the waves after being cut off by the tide between Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay.

The boys managed to climb up to the cliff edge where they were trapped for more than an hour before being saved by a massive operation involving four local coastguards and a helicopter from RAF Boulmer.

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With the spring tides in March stronger than at any other time of year, coastguards have said the boys are lucky to be alive, but warn others may not be so fortunate.

Mike Russell, 52, a coxswain at Whitby Lifeboat Station with more than 20 years experience, said: "People have to check the tides before they go out.

"You get some very large tides at this time of year, particularly if they are backed by an onshore wind, and they can come in very quickly.

"More than 80 per cent of all the calls we deal with are people being trapped by the tides.

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"The boys had managed to climb up a few metres onto the cliffs before using a telephone to call one of their parents.

"It was a very dangerous situation and they were very lucky."

The teenagers, who are said to live in the town, had been searching the base of the cliffs for Jet, a type of sea fossil used to make jewellery.

They became trapped at 2.40pm, and called their parents who alerted the coastguard, but due to the size of the waves crashing against the rocks, a helicopter had to be scrambled to the scene.

The boys were eventually winched free at 6pm and taken to Scarborough District Hospital for a check-up.

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