Safe causeway times wrong, say rescued visitors

Tourists who became stranded on a tidal causeway claim the published safe crossing times were wrong.

Dita Sanchez, her husband Jesus Sanchez Lopez and two friends abandoned their car on the crossing back from Holy Island, Northumberland, on Monday and were rescued by Berwick RNLI.

HM Coastguard confirmed it received reports of a stranded car at 16:00 BST, which was the time the safe crossing ended.

Holy Island harbour master Paul Douglas said: "Weather conditions do affect the tide times and in this case the water was on the causeway at least 45 minutes before expected." Northumberland County Council urged people to "take appropriate precautions" when planning journeys.

The safe crossing times for the causeway are published on the council's website, which recommends using caution.

The group had travelled from Edinburgh for a day trip to Holy Island.

"It was about 15:30 when we got back to the car park and it was completely empty, but we were still well within the safe crossing time so I wasn't too worried," Mrs Sanchez said.

"We left the island and got to the causeway and suddenly the car stopped working, it just wouldn't move.

"We got in a panic, trying to start the car, the water was coming in fast on all sides. We realised we would have to jump into the water, which was already up to our knees, and I was panicking and forgot I could ring 999."

The group waded to the refuge box and spoke to the emergency services from a landline there.

Mrs Sanchez said after about half an hour, two coastguards arrived. They waded through the water, which was "quite deep, up to their waists".

"They gave us life jackets, they were like angels, so kind," she added.

The car, a Mercedes C-Class, was almost completely submerged.

The group were then transported, along with the two coastguards, to the mainland by Berwick RNLI.

Mrs Sanchez said they were "incredibly grateful" to their rescuers and admired them for what they did.

"But we didn't just ignore the safe crossing times," she said. "We had checked."

Mr Douglas, who is a fisherman as well as the harbour master, said locals knew the safe crossing times were not always accurate.

"We'd had a storm come in on Sunday and that can shift the tides," he said.

"It was really quick in. My house overlooks the causeway and there was water on it by 15:20, well before the safe crossing time ended."

"I've rescued hundreds of people off the causeway, people make mistakes, it's just an accident," he added.

In a statement, Northumberland County Council said: "Public safety is our top priority and the Council continues to provide clear guidance regarding Holy Island causeway crossings and tide times.

"While we are unable to comment on the potential impact of exceptional weather events on tide times, we strongly urge the public to stay informed and take appropriate precautions when planning their journeys."

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