Tide Traps: When the Water Swallows You | Edinburgh News

0:00North Burrick lifeboat volunteers have had a busy couple of weeks responding to three separate incidents where people got cut off by the tide. This happened in different spots around East Lofian. In one case, two adults were fishing from rocks at Leckon Bay and got stranded. Another time, two kids found themselves in a tight spot at the Lethies. The lifeboat crew had to launch again for a situation at Seekliffe Beach where three people were stuck on rocks. Skart teams were involved in that one, with some folks waiting for the tide to go down and others needing a direct rescue by the lifeboat. It's a clear sign that people aren't always thinking about how fast the water can rise. This situation highlights a bigger problem. A survey from Bangor University in 2025 found that a lot of people, like four out of ten, don't really get how tides work. Only about a quarter could actually read a tide chart properly to avoid getting into trouble. It's a serious issue because getting cut off by the tide can be really dangerous. Over the last ten years, R&LI crews and lifeguards across the UK and Ireland have dealt with

1:04nearly 8,000 incidents of people being stranded by the tide. Sadly, some of these were life-threatening and they managed to save over 450 lives. The R&LI is stressing the importance of checking tide times before heading out. So the main takeaway here is to always check the tide times before you go to the coast, whether you're walking or just hanging out on the beach. Use reliable sources like the Met Office. And if you do find yourself cut off, don't try to be a hero and swim or wait through it. Call 999 and ask for the Coast Guard. That's your update from Edinburgh News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.