Two saved from taxi stranded on causeway West Mersea South East Division West Mersea's Atlantic 21 lifeboat carried out a somewhat unusual rescue on 26 January when she was called to a taxi stranded on the causeway to a nearby island.

Thames coastguard had been alerted after the vehic le broke down on the winding causeway and the driver radioed for help.

The cab's lights were still shining under water which helped locate the casualty and at 2110 the Atlantic arrived alongside.

The tide rises rapidly in the estuary in which the car was stranded and there is considerable depth of water over the road at high water.

The driver and his passenger had taken to the roof of the vehicle, and water was lapping around their shoes as they were taken aboard the lifeboat. The men were unhurt but suffering from shock.

Writing to the station's honorary secretary after the event the Coastguard sector officer praised the way the crew had found their way through the shorter route in the shallows behind the island to reach the men.

'To run aground in that area at that state of tide was the easy part,' he said, 'to stay afloat was almost impossible - except for West Mersea lifeboat.' In the official reports of service there is a section for the Port of Registry of the casualty - the honorary secretary duly completed it: 'DVLC Swansea.'.