TWO teenage girls had to be rescued by helicopter after they were cut off by an incoming tide on the North Yorkshire coast.

They were winched to safety from the beach at Whitby near the West Pier after rescuers were alerted when the girls rang 999 early on Thursday evening..

A Coastguard officer from Whitby safely waded to the girls’ location and was able to stabilise and provide support to them until further help arrived.

The safest way to bring the girls to the top of the cliff was by helicopter, so they were winched onboard and were taken to landing site nearby. They required no medical attention.

Senior coastguard operations officer Adam Turner said: “This was a close call but the girls did exactly the right thing by calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard. Thankfully, they did not try and self-rescue themselves by trying to beat the incoming tide or attempting to climb the cliff.

“The UK’s coastline are spectacular to explore – but our incoming tides move quickly and they are can also be very, very dangerous. Even for the experienced, it can be very easy to get cut off.

“By following a few simple safety tips from the UK Coastguard, we can make sure that people get the most of their trip to the coast – especially during school breaks when our coast is a favourite destination for many holiday makers.”