Car caught out by tide on Holy Island Causeway

A group of Swiss tourists made a 'generous donation' to the RNLI after two of them were rescued from Holy Island Causeway yesterday afternoon.
Latest news from Northumberland Gazette.Latest news from Northumberland Gazette.
Latest news from Northumberland Gazette.

The Holy Island Coastguard Rescue Team received the call at 4.15pm after a vehicle with two people in became trapped on the Causeway. The pair were able to make it to the safety of the refuge box while their car was submerged by the rising spring tide.

Holy Island Coastguard officers kept their eyes on the people while the Seahouses inshore lifeboat, Peter Downes, was launched to take them from the refuge box back to the mainland, where they were met by police and other members of their party, all visiting from Switzerland.

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The group made a generous donation to the RNLI and thanked them for their prompt response.

Lifeboat operations manager, Ian Clayton, said: "Calls to the Causeway have reduced considerably lately, which is good news. However, here were some Swiss nationals, with some language problems, and possibly no experience of the sea or tides.

"We hope their experience has not affected their visit to our area too much, and that their personal effects in their roof box on their car were not too badly affected by the rising tide, which was very high today. We never expect a donation from those we rescue, but were delighted that they chose to do so today."

The police made recovery arrangements for the vehicle when the tide receded.

The tide times yesterday meant that the Causeway was safe to cross until 3.15pm before becoming accessible again at 10.10pm.