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A man in his 30s deemed to be at risk of hypothermia had to be rescued from St. Aubin's Fort this weekend after the incoming tide left him trapped hundreds of metres from the shore after dark.
The Fire and Rescue Service launched its inshore lifeboat shortly after 17:00 on Saturday after the Coastguard received an emergency call from the stranded man.
He had been at fort, which lies on a rocky islet 400 metres away from the St. Aubin shore, when the tide began to come in.
The islander then got cut off by the tide, and was unable to make his way back along the causeway.
Pictured: St. Aubin's Fort, which lies hundreds of metres from the coastline.
Not only was it dark, but the temperature was dropping, putting the man at risk of developing hypothermia.
"The man was not in any immediate danger but conditions were cold and he was not adequately dressed to wait six hours at night for the tide to be low enough to cross the causeway, so the Coastguard mobilised the Fire and Rescue Service Inshore Rescue Boat," a Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson explained.
Responding to the Coastguard's alert, the Green Watch boat crew launched at La Haule in calm conditions and were fortunately able to reach him by around 17:15. The man was then ferried back to the beach, safe and well.
Pictured: The Green Watch team were fortunate to encounter "calm conditions" when they launched from La Haule.
Helmsman Rick Ryan described the man as "lucky to be able to make the call for help." "...In these cold conditions, without adequate protection, there is a good chance that he could have succumbed to hypothermia," he said.
Following the rescue, he has since urged the public to be extra careful when exploring the coastline, especially after dark. "When exploring Jerseys beaches and coastline, always let someone back on shore know where you are going and what time you are expected to return. Mobile phones are great, but should not be solely relied upon to get you out of trouble if required."
For those in doubt of whether its safe to make the journey, Ports of Jersey have a Tides and Causeway Calculater, which can be accessed here.
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