A COUPLE cling on after being swept into the sea by a huge wave — as Storm Ciaran hurtles towards Britain.
The pair were knocked off their feet and dragged into the water by the swell before dragging themselves back and holding on to the sea wall by their fingertips.
Witnesses watched as they suddenly vanished on Sunday afternoon. One said: “They’d been fishing on the rocks. The next minute a big wave hit them and they were gone. I don’t know how they managed to get back to the harbour, but they did.
“The woman was clinging on to the rails, hanging by her fingertips. The guy was holding her.”
Another witness said of the drama, in Staithes, North Yorks: “The sea is not very forgiving. These two are lucky.
“If they had been thrown a few more feet they wouldn’t be here now because the sea was really rough. It was the peak of high tide.”
The couple, believed to have been from Barnsley, South Yorks, were washed back to the pier and taken to the nearby lifeboat station and checked by medics.
Their miracle escape emerged as the Met Office upgraded its wind and rain warnings for today from yellow to amber “danger to life”.
Up to 2in of rain is expected to fall on flood-hit areas still reeling from Storm Babet, with 90mph gusts set to leave a trail of destruction.
Storm Ciaran, a 24-hour low pressure system, is then expected to barrel in on Wednesday night.
It will strike the south west first, before moving across the country throughout Thursday.
The Met Office said: “Storm Ciaran will bring very strong winds along the south coast of England and Wales.
“We could see gusts of 70 to 80mph, even 90mph in exposed locations. Inland gusts could reach up to 50 or 60mph.
“As well as strong winds, this deep low pressure system will bring heavy rain to many parts of the UK.
“The heaviest rain is expected in southern and western areas. This will fall on already saturated ground, bringing a risk of flooding.”
Last night, the Environment Agency issued 150 flood warnings amid fears rivers will again burst their banks.
