Horror moment couple cling on for their lives after being swept out to sea

30 October 2023 , 13:36

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A man and a woman suffered a terrifying ordeal at a harbour in Yorkshire

This dramatic photo captures a couple "clinging on by fingernails" after being swept out to sea at a harbour amid fierce gales.

The man and woman are "lucky to be alive" following the ordeal yesterday, in which they were pulled out to sea at Staithes Harbour in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire.

It is believed they had been fishing at the harbour, despite strong winds tearing across the country yesterday. Huge waves crashed against the shore and one knocked the couple into the water, witnesses said.

"I noticed these two fishing on the top of the rocks. The next minute a big wave came over and I thought, they had been washed off. They have disappeared," one witness added.

The couple had a lucky escape after a fishing trip become hazardous

They told Yorkshire Live : "I can see they have been washed off into the sea in the harbour. How they were knocked out I don't know, they must have been thrown. They didn't hit the rails. They ended up in the sea.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

"I don't know how they managed to get back to the harbour. And the girl is clinging on to the rails, and hanging on by her fingertips, and the guy is holding on to her."

Somehow, the couple were able to hold on. The witness said: "The girl is hanging on by her fingertips, and the bloke had to hold onto her so he didn't get washed off, and he has somehow pulled himself back and pulled back to the harbour.

"You got yo be careful. The seas is not very forgiving, these two are lucky. Its one of those things, if they had been thrown a few more feet they wouldn't be here now cause the sea was really rough - it was the peak of high tide."

More flooding, like this in East Sussex, is likely this week (Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

According to the witness, the pair were taken to the RNLI station for treatment. They were caught in inclement weather, the start of Storm Ciarán which continues to grip the country.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Chris Almond, said “Winds associated with Storm Ciarán are likely to gust to 80mph along the south coast of England, with a small risk of somewhere exposed seeing 90mph, and winds could even gust up to 50 or 60 mph further inland.

Should there be more financial support for Brits affected by storms? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.

"This deep low-pressure system will also bring heavy rain to much of the UK, but the heaviest rain is expected in southern and western areas with 20 to 25mm quite widely across the region but up to 40 to 60mm potentially over higher ground. Heavy and persistent rain will fall onto already saturated ground bringing a risk of further impacts such as flooding in areas that are already struggling to clean up from the heavy rainfall we have seen over the last week or so."

Maynard Manyowa