Couple trapped by tide in Lyme Regis (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Couple trapped by tide in Lyme Regis

12:00pm Friday 19th October 2012 in Lyme Regis

A COUPLE were treated for the early stages of hypothermia after getting cut off by the high tide on Lyme’s North Wall.

The man and his wife were fishing from the harbour when they became trapped and were stranded for two hours.

They called 999 at 8.45pm on Monday and Portland Coastguard sent Lyme Regis rescue officers and requested the launch of the lifeboat.

The pair, who were on holiday from Oxford and staying in Beer, were taken to the lifeboat station where they were wrapped in blankets and given hot drinks until the ambulance crew arrived.

Paramedics treated them on scene for the early stages of hypothermia.

The lifeboat’s deputy launching authority Garry Gibb said: “The coastguards were unable to reach the couple safely because of the high tide, the current, and darkness so they called us out just after 9pm for one of our shortest trips across the harbour.

“The couple were very cold and drenched by the torrential rain.

“The coastguards and our crew looked after them in the lifeboat station. They were then seen by the ambulance crew who later returned them to their address in Beer accompanied by coastguards.

“The couple had fishing rods with them and it looks as if they simply lost track of time and didn’t realise the high tide was coming in.”