British tourists were left terrified after being trapped in a cave on the north coast of France as sea water quickly surrounded them, sparking a frantic rescue operation. Two women raised the alarm at 2.40pm on Tuesday after they were trapped by a rising tide at the “manhole” on a remote beach in the town of Etretat. One of them was trapped at the infamous manhole on the seaside resort while the other was stuck on the beach below.
Fortunately, the cries for help from the tourists were noticed by those nearby, with emergency services rushing to the cave as a frantic rescue operation got underway.
Five rescue vehicles and seven firemen, including teams specialising in water rescue, came to their aid, who recovered the women and took them to safety.
Rescuers are known to have to regularly rescue people from the accessible cave, known as Le Trou à l’homme, only at low tide, to save them from drowning. However, walking in the “manhole” is forbidden by prefectural decree.
The latest rescue mission came less than two weeks after two other people were trapped at the “manhole” in the French northern coast town of Étretat.
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At around 6.30pm on that day, the fire brigade was called to rescue the duo trapped by rising sea water at the foot of the cliff, not far from the manhole.
Nearly a dozen firefighters, including a specialist water rescue team, rushed to the scene. The two people in danger were brought back safely to dry land in the fire brigade’s boat.
The Paris Normandie newspaper wrote on its website: “Since the number of rescues linked to this negligence on the part of tourists has increased, many locals are asking that the cost of the rescue operation be charged.
“Indeed, the fire brigade can charge for interventions that are not urgent or vital. Rescuing people trapped by the tide, however, is considered to be personal assistance and cannot be charged.
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Every year, dozens of rescue operations have to be carried out to because walkers find themselves trapped by the tide at the manhole in the cliff.
Walkers using the cave often forget there is a strong tide, so many quickly find themselves trapped under the cliff, with the law requiring them to be rescued.
Etretat Mayor André Baillard said the manhole causes at least one intervention per week, sometimes several per day, and the cost could be expensive for the taxpayer.
Trapped walkers are only thought to be in danger in the event of a storm while at high tide, the cave remains dry, with the Mayor adding: “When the sea is calm, people should wait for 6 hours, it would be a good punishment for them to be careful next time.”
Additional reporting by Maria Ortega.