Five ‘idiots’ rescued by helicopter from rock at Cornish beauty spot after being cut off by the tide

FIVE “idiotic” beachgoers were left stranded on a rock after being cut off by the tide at a beauty spot – sparking an urgent rescue mission. A coastguard helicopter winched the tourists to safety after they were caught short off the coast of Marazion, Cornwall, on Saturday. A coastguard helicopter winched the tourists to safety Credit: Jam Press/Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team They were left stranded on a rock after being cut off by the tide at Chapel Rock Credit: Jam Press/Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team Lifeboats rushed to Chapel Rock at around 4pm after being diverted from another incident at nearby Kynance Cove. Pictures showed the five stranded visitors speaking to an RNLI volunteer as Coastguard helicopter Rescue 924 arrived at the tourist hotspot. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Chapel Rock is a popular area for tourists, but it can quickly become cut off from the shore as the tide comes in. And locals showed little sympathy for the marooned group, who they accused of “wasting valuable resources”. Lifeboats rushed to Chapel Rock at around 4pm Credit: Jam Press/Nishanthi Thuduwewatta Locals showed little sympathy for the marooned group, who they accused of ‘wasting valuable resources’ Credit: Jam Press/Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team One witness fumed: “Idiots decided to stay on Chapel Rock, Marazion, despite the tide coming in. “Putting their own lives and the lives of the rescue teams at risk. “The RNLI and Cornwall Coastguard were then forced to rescue all five people from the rock, wasting valuable emergency resources. “Completely reckless and avoidable.” Most read in The Sun The Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team confirmed it had received reports of people cut off by the tide. A spokesperson said the team quickly arrived at the scene and spotted the five stuck on the rock. Alongside lifeboat Ivan Ellen, the coastguard also launched the Y-boat and the helicopter. But with the sea conditions deteriorating, it was ultimately decided that they should be winched to safety. Coastguards then prepared a helicopter landing site on Folly Field, clearing the play park and seafront to allow the helicopter to land. A Penlee Lifeboat spokesperson said: “‘Ivan Ellen’ was re-tasked while en route upon receiving a report of another five persons cut off by the tide at Chapel Rock. “Upon arrival they launched the Y-boat but the Coastguard Helicopter became the safest option of extraction. “The helicopter winched the five persons and transferred them to Coastguard teams on shore.” The rescue operation comes amid a raft of water tragedies across the UK. Four members of the same family died after being swept out to sea at a beach in Shoreham, West Sussex, earlier this month. Weeks earlier, a seven-year-old boy tragically drowned alongside his teenage cousin and her mum at the beach on a family holiday. Musa Ahmed, seven, died in hospital six days after getting into difficulty in the water in West Mersea, Essex. His cousin Sameeha Rahman, 15, and her mother Shelina Rahman, 41, also perished in the horror.