The Holy Island refuge box which was damaged during Storm Arwen has been re-installed on the island's famous Causeway.
The refuge box was first constructed in 1954 when the Causeway was built, the first road to connect Holy Island to mainland Northumberland. The box is elevated above a bridge, which was also awaiting further repairs following Storm Arwen, and is designed to offer safety to those whose cars become trapped when crossing to or from the tidal island.
So far this year, ChronicleLive has reported on two rescues on the Holy Island Causeway, both of which took place in January. Despite damage to the refuge box, it has still been in use since November 2021, as a group of six and their dog discovered last August when they were forced to abandon their car on a failed crossing.
Read more: Holy Island disasters for drivers left stranded on notorious causeway
Rescues of stranded motorists are commonplace on the Holy Island Causeway, with the RNLI at Seahouses often called out to bring drivers and their passengers to safety when they attempt to cross back to the mainland outside of safe crossing times. In 2022, RNLI Seahouses were called out to six Causeway crossing rescues, with a total of 20 people and eight children involved, while there were more that the RNLI wasn't required for.
On Friday night, one of Holy Island's 150 residents, Mark Fleeson, was returning from Newcastle when works got underway to replace the damaged box. The Causeway was closed as workers from Northumberland County Council removed the damaged item and installed its replacement.
Mark, of Lindisfarne Scriptorium, said: "The rescue box is very important because it does give that safety net so then they can call the coastguard and get the lifeboat out and get them rescued. It won't help their vehicle because if you drive into the North Sea, it's not going to do it any good."
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