Two people rescued after being trapped by rising tide between Burntisland and Kinghorn

The couple had been attempting to walk from Burntisland, in Fife, to the nearby Pettycur harbour at Kinghorn via the coast on Sunday afternoon, when they were cut off by the tide close to the railway line.

British Transport Police (BTP) last week issued a warning urging walkers to take care after the water had forced a number of people onto the East Coast Main Line in recent years.

The latest incident saw the Kinghorn RNLI called out at 4.30pm yesterday, but the rescue craft could not get close enough to take the couple on.

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In a statement, the RNLI said: “It was found that access by the lifeboat was not possible due to water depth; however, a group of local water sports enthusiasts, who were also off-duty crewmembers, were in the area with a small boat and jet-skis and were able to assist by getting closer in to transfer the casualties to deeper water and onto the lifeboat.

“The two people, who did not require any medical assistance were taken to the Beacon slipway where Kinghorn Coastguard and RNLI Lifeguards Scotland personnel met the lifeboat.

“Our crew included Mark Brown, Matthew Mulligan, Claire Duncan, Ralph Johnston, Rob Douglas and Steve Robinson.

“This incident follows a plea from the British Transport Police and RNLI to be aware of the risks at this part of the coastline. There have been several similar incidents in recent years and BTP has warned of the dangers of trespassing on the railway line. The RNLI recommends being aware of coastal hazards such as the tide and checking tide times before you set out.”

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BTP has revealed that there were 19 incidents in the past year of trespass on the busy rail line.

Bryan O’Neill, BTP Inspector, said: “There have been incidents of trespass on the East Coast Main line where people go for a walk on the shore, end up trapped by the tide and try to escape by climbing up the embankment then onto the railway.

“This is why we want to urge the public to check the tide times before venturing out along the beach so that they don’t end up trapped.”

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