At approximately 12:25pm today (Sunday 19 July 2026), Guernsey Coastguard received reports from the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre (JESCC) that a person and their dog were being swept away by the strong spring tides from Bear’s Beach on the West coast of Herm.

In response, a multi-agency search and rescue operation was initiated, with the St Peter Port RNLI’s All-Weather Lifeboat (ALB), Inshore Lifeboat (ILB), St Johns Ambulance launch, Flying Christine III (FCIII) (which had all been attending the Sark Sea Service) and the Channel Islands Air
Search aircraft (CIAS) all tasked to the incident.

The ILB and FCIII arrived on scene at about 12:40pm by which time, a member of the public had successfully assisted the casualty and their dog back to the beach. Paramedics from the FCIII subsequently assessed the casualty who was found to be well and uninjured, although understandably shaken by the experience. The dog was also found to be in good health.

All search and rescue assets were stood down and returned to their respective stations by 1:40pm.

Guernsey Coastguard said:
The incident serves as a timely reminder of the speed at which tidal conditions can change
around the islands and the importance of checking tide times and local conditions before visiting
beaches and coastal areas.

Guernsey Coastguard would also like to thank the member of the public who assisted, together
with all responding agencies for their swift response and cooperation.

Mike Harris – Duty Search Mission Coordinator