Coastguard teams from Kimmeridge, St Albans Head and Swanage in Dorset, had to winch a walker to safety after they got cut off by the flooding tide, headed up the cliffs and became stuck.
The incident happened in the Houns Tout area overlooking Chapman’s Pool around 3.30 pm on Tuesday 17th March 2026.
The lifeboat crews helped locate the walker from the sea while the coastguard rescue teams scoured the cliff from above
“The waves and swell were bigger than expected”
When the emergency call came in, not only were the coastguard teams deployed but Swanage Lifeboat Station was also requested to launch both its boats, just in case it was easier to rescue the walker from the bottom of the cliff.
Swanage Lifeboat Station reported:
“Due to the sea conditions along the South Coast, the decision was made to launch the all weather lifeboat as well as the inshore lifeboat.
“By 3.50 pm both boats were launched and began the journey west to Chapman’s Pool. The waves and swell were bigger than expected so the inshore lifeboat travelled in the wake of the all weather lifeboat, making it a smoother passage for the crew.
Once spotted it was quickly decided to winch the person up the cliff using ropes and a harness
Rope rescue
On arrival, the lifeboat crew tried to locate the person reported to be stuck on the cliffs, west of Chapman’s Pool.
The coastguard teams were already on the coastal path and once the walker was spotted it was decided that the most obvious and safest way to reach the person was to undertake a rope rescue.
The lifeboats hovered in the sea near the base of the cliffs to offer support as required.
The weather was ideal for a walk but the sea was quite choppy
Once the walker had been rescued the teams could pack up and head home
“Winched up to safety”
Kimmeridge coastguard reported:
“The teams quickly set up a rope rescue system and established communication with the casualty. A rope technician was lowered down to the casualty and after making an assessment on the casualties health they were placed in a harness and winched up to safety.
“Once safe and away from the cliff edge they were checked over for any other injuries and given safety advice. With the casualty safe and back on their way, the teams packed up and headed back to the station.
“A big thank you to the owner of West Hill Farm for allowing access through his fields for a quicker recovery of the casualty.”
A lucky escape for the walker caught by the rapidly rising tide
