A lady who became lost in thick fog on Brean beach was rescued by crews from Burnham-On-Sea on Friday evening (March 29th).
Coastguards from Burnham-On-Sea and Weston, plus crews from BARB Search & Rescue were called out at 5pm when the lady’s husband raised the alarm when he could not find her in dense fog on the beach.
A BARB spoksman said: “BARB’s volunteers were called out to search for a missing person in the thick fog alongside Burnham and Weston Coastguards. A full search of Burnham, Brean and Berrow beaches was undertaken for the lady, who had become disorientated and separated from her husband while fishing in the fog. He raised the alarm to Coastguards and we were called to the scene on Brean beach.”
“BARB’s two hovercrafts and our multi-terrain vehicle were used to scour the sands and tideline in the dense, foggy gloom.”
“After a 90-minute search, the lady was spotted by the teams close to the tideline during a brief break in the fog and was assisted into BARB’s multi-terrain vehicle and brought up the beach — she was very relieved to be rescued.”
“The Coastguards said she had done the right thing in staying put and waiting for help. This was another good multi-agency incident with a successful outcome.”
A Burnham Coastguard spokesman added: “A phone location ping was done and it showed the pair to be somewhere near Burnham. So a search plan was put into action, our Coastguard vehicle was to commence a search from Burnham Beach heading North towards Brean, and BARB were tasked to use their vehicles to search from Brean Down back towards Burnham Beach.”
“Whilst doing this they were kept on the phone and we used the lights and sirens to see if either of them could hear or see us. We had further updates that the man had made his way back to their camper van and the beach warden was with him.”
“By now visibility was at its worst with nothing more than a few metres before it all vanished into the white mist. Working on the last-known position we assembled a line of Coastguards and BARB members to take a walk down towards the tideline until it became soft underfoot, whistles were blown, shouts were given and while there was a report that she could hear faint whistles it was becoming hazardous to the search teams so it was then upgraded to a technical rescue.”
“BARB unloaded their hovercraft and two mud technicians from Weston Coastguard and two from Burnham Coastguard were readied for a tideline search through the dense sea mist.”
“As this was happening there was a break in the mist, it cleared and the beach became visible again, people with binoculars scoured the tideline and the lady was spotted. The BARB multi-terrain vehicle was sent to pick her up and bring her back to safety.”
“Having been lost in the thick fog she was emotional and relieved to have been found and helped back to safety.”
“After being checked out and found to be OK she was reunited with her thankful husband, no sooner had the mist lifted it was then back firmly in place and we were unable to very far again.”
“A happy ending to what must have been a frightening ordeal, when that mist rolls in there is absolutely no way of knowing which way is the right way.”
“If you ever find that you are lost along the coast, Dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”
Pictured: The search underway in Brean and Burnham on Friday evening for the missing lady in thick fog. (BARB and Burnham Coastguard)
