Two people have been rescued after becoming stranded at St. Mary's Island off the coast of Whitley Bay.
At 6.16pm on Wednesday, Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB) were tasked by HM Coastguard following reports that two people had been cut off by the tide.
Nine volunteers attended alongside Cullercoats RNLI, and a lifeboat was able to arrive at the scene within minutes.
And thanks to the team effort, both people were able to be rescued. The pair were safely transferred back to Cullercoats Bay where they then made their own way home on public transport.
The incident lasted 45 minutes and TVBL was stood down at 7pm. The incident was one of three to require the assistance of TVLB within eight hours on Wednesday, making it the busiest day for the brigade since last summer.
TVBL is a voluntary shore based coastal rescue service which formed in 1864. And so far in 2023 it has responded to 35 callouts. The Brigade a declared facility to the Coastguard and specialise in Coastal Search and Rescue.
Brigade incidents are co-ordinated by HM Coastguard most commonly from their Maritime Rescue Coordination Operations Centre, based in Bridlington. As a registered charity the brigade is entirely funded by donations, grants and fundraising activities and is run entirely by volunteers.
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