A COUPLE were rescued from the foot of a cliff after they were cut off by the incoming tide at Saltburn.

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon.

The couple dialled 999 at around 3.30pm when they found themselves trapped while walking from Skinningrove towards Saltburn.

UK Coastguard dispatched the two RNLI lifeboats from Redcar.

On arrival, the station’s smaller inshore lifeboat was manoeuvred through difficult seas to reach the couple.

The man, aged 61-years-old, was taken on board the lifeboat and landed near the Ship Inn, Saltburn, where he was assessed by paramedics before being taken to James Cook University Hospital for treatment for hypothermia.

The Redcar inshore lifeboat then returned to pick up the woman, aged 58-years-old. By this time sea conditions had worsened and the woman was unable to board the lifeboat and so a UK Coastguard helicopter was dispatched.

On arrival the helicopter crew winched the woman to safety and took her to Durham Tees Valley Airport where an ambulance was waiting to take her to James Cook University Hospital. There she was assessed before being reunited with her husband.

The coastguard helicopter refuelled and returned to Saltburn to winch the lifeboat crew clear of the cliffs and to return them to the lifeboats.

Dave Cocks, from Redcar RNLI, said: "I’ve got nothing but praise for everyone involved in this rescue.

"I have to say I think our crews did a sterling job in effecting the rescue of the man in increasingly worsening sea conditions and strong north-easterly winds.

"The helicopter crew were incredibly slick in winching the woman away from the cliffs, and she was quickly in the care of the ambulance service.

"The coastguard teams on scene and in the UK Coastguard control room provided vital communications and coordination."