An elderly couple stranded by the rising tide off the British coast stunned coast guards by not only refusing to be rescued, but hurling abuse at a helicopter crew that attempted to winch them to safety, officials said on Saturday.
The unnamed pair were spotted being forced to shelter in a cove on cliffs after the tide came in at St Anne’s Head, in Pembrokeshire, north Wales, cutting them off.
A worried passer-by telephoned the local coast guard, which dispatched a lifeboat, only to be told in blunt terms that the couple wanted to “sit it out” and wait for the tide to go in again.
But with the weather becoming increasingly stormy as Thursday afternoon went on, officials decided to send a helicopter team from a Royal Air Force (RAF) base in distant Devon, south-west England.
The crew sent down a winch, only to be greeted by a volley of abuse from the man, who insisted the couple wanted to be left alone.
The RAF crew waited for two hours, hoping the couple would change their minds.
However, the stubborn pair even refused an offer of coffee and warm clothes as dusk fell, eventually turning their backs on the rescuers to face the cliff.
Finally, in late evening — six hours after the coastguard had arrived — the tide retreated and the pair walked to safety, before grudgingly accepting a lift back to their own car.
Julie Wood, watch manager at Milford Haven Coast Guard, said it was the first time she knew of anyone refusing help in such a way.
“They were probably a bit embarrassed. But it was cold and wet and they were in some danger, so I’m surprised they didn’t accept any help,” she said. “People are usually quite pleased to see you, but for someone to say they don’t want any assistance is very, very unusual.
“It’s a bit strange to tell a helicopter to go away.” — AFP