Rhodes: Cheshire tourist 'scrambles' to safety on boat as beach burns

Andrea Layfield was enjoying her holiday in Rhodes until it got "very, very scary" with "horrific" air causing breathing issues

A woman on holiday in Rhodes has told how she saw hundreds of people running down a beach to get away from flames and she had to scramble under someone's legs to get on a rescue boat.

Andrea Layfield, of Warrington, said she and her daughter had been dropped off on a beach near Lindos after a tourist boat trip got "really scary".

The Greek island has been battling wildfires since Tuesday.

"The fire was coming down the beach but the beach was a dead end," she said.

"So there were hundreds of people just running."

A boat arrived on the beach which had been sent by the authorities.

She said people were just "screaming and fighting" and the boat would only take women and children.

Ms Layfield said: "I scrambled under somebody's legs and got on."

Many people had to leave luggage on the beach and a family with a baby was left with no nappies, Ms Layfield says

"It has been very, very scary," she said, adding the air was "horrific" and causing her breathing difficulties.

She said other holidaymakers on the boat, which held about 150 people, had to board without their belongings.

"People had to leave everything on the beach," she said.

"One family with a baby had no food or nappies. One woman was separated from her husband.

"There were was no police, no nothing. Just that one rescue boat."

The air was described as horrific

She and her daughter were left stranded at the next bay, Lardos and "there was no-one there" to help, she said.

"There were thousands of people just walking with their luggage," she recalled.

Ms Layfield said it was only an act of kindness from staff at their hotel which meant they could return there.

They sent the head chef and a barman to collect us in their own cars, she said.

However, they were then woken up by banging on the doors for evacuation of the hotel at 01:00.

"We could see the fire coming over the hill," she said.

Flights are due to land on Rhodes later to bring back holidaymakers left stranded by the wildfires.

British tourists have been sleeping at the airport, makeshift rescue centres and on the street.

Lisa Bousfield from Poynton in Stockport and her family have been evacuated from their hotel in Kiotari and moved to "makeshift beds" in another resort.

"The staff banged on our doors and made sure everyone knew to leave [and go to the beach]," she said.

"We grabbed our necessities and left unimportant stuff behind."

She said they were given towels to "wet with water" and "masks to cover our faces" but added that " the smoke got really bad".

"The locals were brilliant, lifting families with children, the elderly and disabled in cars, vans, trucks and even two JCBs," she said.

Ms Bousfield added: "We are staying at Mitsis Rodos Village, this only caught fire a little bit at the top where the tennis courts are.

"But the hotel next door to us has burnt down."

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]