Joss Bay goes off too - but surfers are stranded

That East Coast storm surge proved too tricky for three surfers at Joss Bay, Kent this morning. See The Big Chill for more later; the story is on www.whitehallpages.net. It seems, at first blush, that there might have been a degree of misjudgement in opting to paddle out in force six winds that made the sea too rough even for the lifeboat to effect a rescue. The surfers became stranded on rocks; a member of the public dialled 999; two were rescued by Deal and Margate Cliff Coatsguard Rescue Teams while the other was ultimately able to walk around the cliffs back to the shore.

These photos are courtesy of Pete Knowles of The Big Chill. I'll be checking the site later for more info but meanwhile here's a thought: you don't have to surf when it's big and gnarly...