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Rescued Whitby teenagers relive cliff rescue ordeal
TWO Whitby teenagers have told of the horrifying moments before they were winched to safety by helicopter in a dramatic sea rescue.
And for one of them – Jordan Robinson – it was the second time he has cheated death in just over six months.
The pair perched precariously on a cliff ledge for hours last Thursday after getting cut off by the tide while out hunting for jet.
They scrambled to safety on a ledge but were stuck for more than two hours, four metres up the cliff at Saltwick Bay.
Jordan Robinson (16) and Jordan Everson (15) told the Whitby Gazette this week they feared they would die and how they owe their lives to rescuers.
Jordan Robinson, who recently moved to Whitby from Preston, is no stranger to shocking mishaps.
A car he was travelling in burst into flames at Lythe last August, causing him to have a skin graft on his arm.
"Mum said 'this is the second time you've nearly died, you'll not be so lucky next time'." he said.
Recounting his latest experience, he said: "We were soaking, the waves were lashing us.
"We rang the coastguard – they were good, they kept us talking and explained what was happening.
"It was crazy, like we were in a film."
"It was really slippy climbing up but it was too cold to swim. We were stuck with water on both sides.
"One of the rescuers came down and put lifejackets on us, shouting at us to move in.
"We thought we were going to drown.
"In the helicopter they wrapped us in blankets.
"They took us to hospital to see if we had hypothermia.
"We were shivering, our teeth were chattering and all of a sudden we were surrounded by doctors."
Jordan Everson of The Ropery, who attends the Outreach programme – an alternative to school – said: "The rescuers were great, they were brilliant.
"We found a big piece of jet but had to drop it when we got stuck. It was freezing, it seemed like forever until the helicopter came.
"But they were all brilliant – they looked after us.
"They put us in pyjamas and slippers, gave us tea and biscuits, then some stew.
"Thank you to them, they saved our lives."
Coastguards and Whitby lifeboat rushed to the scene after they called 999 from a mobile phone.
With a risk of them becoming hypothermic, they were winched into a Sea King helicopter from RAF Boulmer shortly after 4pm.
THE Whitby Gazette's photos of the rescue have proved popular with the national press this week.
Ceri Oakes' exclusive on-the-spot photos have been published in The Times, The Guardian and The Mirror.
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Weather for Whitby
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
