Exmouth lifeboat went to the aid of some walkers cut off by the tide at Orcombe Point yesterday evening.

A member of the public called at the lifeboat station at about 5pm to report the group in difficulty and the inshore lifeboat was launched shortly afterwards, with David Preece at the helm and Gary Munnings and Harry Griffin as crew.

Arriving five minutes later, they found that the group had managed to wade through waist-deep seawater to reach Exmouth beach, with no injuries.

The lifeboat crew made sure they were all safe and well and returned to the station.

Helm David Preece said: "We would always urge anyone reporting an incident at sea to call 999 at the first opportunity.

"In this case it was fortunate that there were crew at the lifeboat station but that is not always the case."

Cliff fall has made leaving Orcombe Point dangerous

He added that people going for walks along the coast should take a few precautions first – including the safety of pathways they're planning to use.

He said: "My advice for those using the beach is to always check the locality, weather and tides before venturing out.

"A recent cliff fall has demolished a set of steps at Orcombe Point that makes leaving that location other than via the beach particularly hazardous."

The RNLI's advice for beachgoers and water users is :

- Keep a close eye on your family – on the beach and in the water

- Don't use inflatables

- In an emergency dial 999, and ask for the Coastguard

Further RNLI information concerning the importance of weather and tide conditions can be found on the RNLI website.