TWO women cut off by the incoming tide were lucky that a search and rescue team were already nearby on a training course.

The women had waded into the water at Burnham-on-Sea south beach to retrieve their dog during the incident at around 2pm on Friday.

Coastguards alerted the BARB Search and Rescue team to the situation.

A BARB spokesman said: "Several of our crew - who were already at our station doing training work - were able to quickly get into their dry suits, prepare water rescue equipment and personal protective equipment.

"They made their way along the seafront to the two ladies who had entered the sea to try and retrieve their dog and become surrounded by sea water.

"A Burnham lifeboat also arrived on scene a short time afterwards and the crew members from BARB and the RNLI jointly walked the two people through the shallow water to safety.

"They were taken back to the coastguard station where they were given a check over and a welcome cup of tea.

"This was a happy, quick ending to what could have been a serious incident."

A spokesperson for the Coastguard said they would urge people to check tide times before heading to the beach to avoid an incident.
"We want everyone to enjoy our wonderful beaches but please remember your basic beach safety," the Coastguard spokesperson said. 
"Check tide times. Keep an eye on your surroundings
"If your dog wanders off towards the water, don't worry 99.9 per cent of the time they will come back once they have finished exploring.
"If you do get into difficulty dial 999 and ask for the Coastguards."