(Image: Bridlington Coastguard Rescue Team)
THREE men have been rescued from "difficult conditions" off the Yorkshire coast in a multi-agency operation.
Bridlington Coastguard Rescue Team, Filey Coastguard Rescue Team, and Flamborough RNLI were dispatched to Thornwick Bay near Flamborough on Saturday, October 10 after reports of four people struggling in the water.
Flamborough RNLI said in a statement that the men were aged between 20 and 25.
A spokesperson for the East Yorkshire coastguard service said one person was in the water when crews arrived, with one man able to reach the shore, and two people were sheltered inside a cave.
The Flamborough RNLI, with assistance from the coastguard team, successfully rescued the swimmer, who was placed in the care of ambulance crews.
An aerial rescue of the two people trapped in the cave was not possible, the service said.
After an initial assessment by a crew member who descended down cliffs to within five metres of the cave, Flamborough RNLI crews rescued the two people who were then transferred to a rescue helicopter and then onto the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
A spokesperson for Bridlington Coastguard Rescue Team said: "A fantastic example of multi-agency teamwork, with Coastguard teams, RNLI volunteers, the rescue helicopter crew and ambulance colleagues working together in challenging conditions to bring all four people to safety.
"This incident could have had a very different outcome.
"We would like to thank everyone involved for their professionalism, teamwork and commitment throughout the rescue."