Barely hours into the new year, Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team received their first tasking of 2026.
Shortly after midday, the team were tasked to reports of a young male casualty who had become trapped by the incoming tide below the West Cliff area.
On arrival, it was immediately clear that a full rope rescue setup would be required to reach the casualty, who was positioned approximately 70–80m below.
To ensure a safe and secure operation in this urban environment, the Officer in Charge requested assistance from North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (Whitby), making use of their fire appliance as a holdfast when traditional anchor points were not suitable.
Further support was requested from Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 912 from Humberside. With an estimated flight time of around 45 minutes, the decision was made to deploy a cliff technician to reach and secure the casualty without delay.
Despite challenging terrain, and a rising tide line causing a lot of water against the cliffs, the cliff tech successfully reached the casualty and brought them into the safety of the rope rescue system. Working together, fire crews and Coastguard rope teams recovered both casualty and technician back to the top of the cliff.
Cold and wet but otherwise well, the casualty was handed into the care of Yorkshire Ambulance Service for a warm up and further checks.
Accidents happen, and in this instance, the casualty did exactly the right thing by remaining in place and waiting for help. Checking tide times before heading out remains essential for everyone visiting our coastline.
As always, today’s successful outcome was built on teamwork.
They stated:
'Remember, you are never wasting our time, if you see or feel someone is in trouble on our coast, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.'
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