TWO people trapped by the incoming tide at the foot of 800-foot cliffs were rescued by Minehead’s RNLI lifeboat crew, answering their second call in a day on Monday.

The couple - a brother and sister in their 20s - had scrambled over rocks around the base of Hurlestone Point at the eastern end of Porlock Bay.

But they found their way back blocked by the tide and became stranded about 10 metres up the cliff as they tried to scale it.

Minehead’s volunteer crew launched the station’s D class lifeboat just after 5pm in response to their 999 call. Coastguards initially proposed a rope rescue, but the sea conditions were calm enough for the lifeboat crew to nose the boat into a rocky beach just below the couple.

Helm Richard Gay said: “They were obviously a bit nervous but we managed to persuade them to come slowly down the cliff backwards - then got them into the boat and put them ashore.  “They were clearly very grateful. It was a nasty place to be stuck: the tide was still coming in and it was clear they had no hope of going any higher from the spot where they were trapped.”

Four hours earlier the Minehead crew had launched the station’s Atlantic 85 to evacuate a seriously seasick angler from a fishing boat moored half a mile off the station.

The man, in his 50s, became unwell in choppy conditions about half-a mile-north of the lifeboat station and the skipper called Coastguards for help.

The volunteer crew launched the station’s Atlantic 85 boat just after 1 pm, although because the tide was low the boat had to be taken nearly a quarter-of-a mile west of the station to find deep enough water.

The casualty was taken off the fishing boat and was back on shore within 10 minutes, suffering no serious effects.

Minehead RNLI local operations manager Dr John Higgie said the fishing boat skipper had done exactly the right thing in calling for help.

He said: “Because it was low water it would have been another four hours before he would have been able to get back into the harbour. 

“Conditions were quite choppy out there with a strong breeze blowing, and seasickness is not a condition to be taken lightly.

“If it is left untreated the sufferer can lose consciousness and then you are into a far more serious situation.”