by Hayley Robinson

A young couple have spoken about their dramatic helicopter rescue after they became stranded on a Sheppey beach.

Dan Mills and his girlfriend Karen Weekes set off with their 17-month-old son Cody on a bike ride from Sheerness beach front just before 11am on Saturday morning.

They were heading for Leysdown and planned to grab a spot of lunch.

But after getting past The Leas and continuing along the seafront it became apparent there was no way of getting off the path without going all the way to Leysdown.

Almost eight hours after setting off from home and with the tide coming in fast Dan, 25, and Karen, 20, realised they and their child were in serious danger. It was 6.33pm when they dialled 999 and asked for the coastguard.

Karen, of Jefferson Road, Sheerness, said: “We got to Warden Bay and realised we couldn’t turn back as the tide was coming in. I panicked and I was crying, I really thought we were going to die.

“We dialled 999 on my mobile and when we were put through they asked us where we were but we had no idea so they asked what we could see.

“The police, the coastguard and the RAF helicopter were all out looking for us but they were having trouble finding us.

“Then they let off flares and one landed just yards away from us which allowed them to narrow the search down.”

The four-and-a-half hour search finally came to an end when three police officers made their way through the mud to the distressed couple and their son who was tucked up safe and warm in a trailer on the back of one of the bikes. It was deemed too risky to take them back the way the officers had come so they were winched to safety with the help of a rescue helicopter from Wattisham in Suffolk.

The helicopter landed at the Palm Trees Holiday Park, in Warden Road, Eastchurch, where the family were checked over by an ambulance crew and given the all clear.

Karen said: “I’m just relieved we’re all OK.

“Dan went to get the bikes and the trailer but they were gone. The annoying things is I only just got the trailer off Argos and I’ve not paid for it yet so now I’ve got to pay for something we don’t have.”