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Pupils trapped by Kent tide use phones as beacons | Pupils trapped by Kent tide use phones as beacons |
(about 2 hours later) | |
More than 30 pupils who became trapped by rising coastal tides were rescued after using their mobile phones as distress beacons. | More than 30 pupils who became trapped by rising coastal tides were rescued after using their mobile phones as distress beacons. |
The 34 youngsters and two adults had got lost on the Kent coast in an area prone to cliff rock falls. | The 34 youngsters and two adults had got lost on the Kent coast in an area prone to cliff rock falls. |
An air and sea search began at about 21:00 BST on Monday after the school group from London alerted Kent Police. | |
Mark Finnis, coxswain of Dover RNLI, said the group had passed "nine warning signs" deterring them from the walk. | |
"It could have ended up a whole lot worse," Mr Finnis told BBC London. | |
"None of the people we took on board our lifeboat were dressed in any attire that you would associate with clambering over rocks." | |
'Cliff falls' | |
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the group were advised to use the lights from their phones to aid the search for them. | |
A rescue helicopter, based in Lydd, was involved in the operation, along with three lifeboats - two from Dover and one from Walmer - and the Langdon Coastguard Rescue Team. | |
Follow live BBC updates here | Follow live BBC updates here |
"The group was located by one of the Walmer lifeboats in the area of active cliff falls and also spotted by a helicopter using the forward-looking infra red camera," said Richard Cockerill, UK Coastguard's senior maritime operations officer. | "The group was located by one of the Walmer lifeboats in the area of active cliff falls and also spotted by a helicopter using the forward-looking infra red camera," said Richard Cockerill, UK Coastguard's senior maritime operations officer. |
"All 36 people were recovered to safety by lifeboat and helicopter." | "All 36 people were recovered to safety by lifeboat and helicopter." |
It is understood the group had descended on to the beach from a coastal path between St Margaret's Bay and Dover when they were caught by rising waters, a coastguard spokeswoman said. | |
After being spotted using night-vision cameras, 31 members of the group were taken ashore and the remaining five were airlifted to the Dover Coastguard station. | |
All members were accounted for by 23:00 and were "safe and well". | All members were accounted for by 23:00 and were "safe and well". |
"Thankfully, the quick and well co-ordinated search and rescue response meant all 36 were rescued and were lucky to escape without serious injuries, but they've had a traumatic experience," Mr Finnis said. | |
The Port of Dover later tweeted that the group's rescue "was a lesson to us all to be careful around water and check tidal information". | The Port of Dover later tweeted that the group's rescue "was a lesson to us all to be careful around water and check tidal information". |