Friday 28 June 2013

16 Diving Death in the UK during 2012

The Coastguard have just published the diving related incidents it dealt with during 2012.

Sadly 16 people lost their lives during 2012 whilst diving, the highest figure for 11 years.

You can read the full report here, be prepared and take a minute to read the report.

Thursday 27 June 2013

Civic Service

The Towns Annual Civic Service will be held on Sunday 30th June at St Mary's Church.

There won't be a parade this year so the service for the people and services of Swanage starts at 3pm.

Tea and Cake will hopefully be served on the lawn after the service.


Wednesday 26 June 2013

Climber stuck at Anvil Point

After a quiet week the full team were paged by Portland Coastguard to a report of a climber stuck near Tilly Whim Caves.

The team proceeded to Durlston Country Park and met the 1st informant who took the team to the location of his climbing partner.

As the team was about to set up, the reported stranded climber appeared having been pulled up the cliff by other climbers at Anvil Point. Some minor first aid was given to some cuts and details taken for the records before the team returned to the station.

Whilst it was good the climber was assisted it was a wise decision by his friends to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.


Sunday 16 June 2013

Search for para glider in Swanage

At 18.45 Portland Coastguard requested the Swanage Coastguard Team search Ballard after a 999 call reporting a para glider crash landing. Two search teams deployed, one to Ballard and the other to Sheps Hollow. A coastal search was carried out but without success, however members of the public confirmed seeing the para glider landing either on the beach or on the cliff.

The Swanage RNLI inshore lifeboat launched to assist in the search and having checked top and bottom of the cliff this left a patch of wooded area which couldn't be seen from the top or the sea so Rescue 106 was scrambled to carry out a search from the air.

Having exhausted all areas the search was stood down just after 21.00


Wednesday 12 June 2013

Roger goes to sea

As this blog goes live, our Roger is hopefully safe aboard the Swanage Lifeboat as it hits the sea for an exercise.

It's something we arrange for our team members to experience what the RNLI crews have to do and more importantly what they can see on the water.
When we are on the cliff tops monitoring the lifeboat we can see a lot further so it's important our Rescue Officers appreciate things on the water.

Thanks to the Swanage RNLI crew for taking him out.........( hopefully photos to follow)






Saturday 8 June 2013

Busy day for Coastguard

The initial response team (IRT) were tasked just before 8pm this evening to a report of a red speed boat sunk at Shell Bay at Studland.

On arrival the speed boat was almost submerged and it appeared it had been abandoned earlier in the afternoon. Having liaised with the National Trust it was decided to anchor the boat to the shore line to ensure it would not drift out into the shipping lane on the approach to Poole Harbour.

Various items were recovered from the water and stacked to ensure the owners would recover them at some point.

Having completed that incident the IRT were driving down Studland beach when they noticed a sailing dinghy struggling at the Knoll Beach slip way so proceeded to investigate. The sole occupant was struggling recovering his dinghy and was very grateful for assistance.

As finally the IRT returned to Swanage our close working relationship with the other emergency services worked when we were made aware of a serious medical incident on a camp site in Swanage. We are very lucky that we have Chris in the team who is a second year student paramedic and even with basic kit he was able to tend to the male very quickly.




Gucci glasses






Summer is here, the boss has his 'Gucci' eye-protection on!

...could have made more of an effort and worn a tie.

Location:Seaward Road,Swanage,United Kingdom

Lady stuck in mud at Studland






A very unusual incident at Studland today.

A couple kayaking around the South side of Poole harbour became stuck in mud close to Jerry's point.

Portland Coastguard tasked the Swanage IRT, Rescue 104 and the Poole Team due to their specialist skills in mud rescues.

The Swanage team arrived first and confirmed the male had made it ashore however the female was stuck some distance from safety and rather distressed. The Rescue helicopter arrived and assessed the situation however the best plan was to wait for the Poole team to arrive and use their mud equipment.

The mud technicians deployed and brought the female to safety.

Thanks to the Poole team who now have a long job ahead to clean all their kit.

A busy day for the Coastguard all along the coast.

Come and meet the team

Today is World Ocean Day at Studland and the team will be attending to support the National Trust.

We will be there from 11am (subject to operational requirements)

Why not pop along and see us?

The wild hunters at Durlston




And here they are training, the wild hunting pack of Swanage Coastguard.

3 of them shy from the camera, note the "Bravo male" at the back on the right hand side showing his command.

Having wrestled "Ruth Lee" to the ground, they then boarded and collared the poor victim before strapping her to the stretcher.

Slowly they drag their victim back up the steep hill to safety.


Friday 7 June 2013

The Wild Side of Purbeck

We were training up by Durlston last night, and I was reminded of a forthcoming photography exhibition you might be interested in, to be held next month at Durlston Castle.  It will feature landcapes and wildlife from all over our patch, captured by local photographers Andy Farrer and Julian Sawyer
Coastguards can get in FREE. 
And so can everyone else :-)



Sunday 2 June 2013

AED (Defibrilator) Arrives in Swanage

There is now an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) in Swanage, It is to be used by the community in situations where a member of the public has collapsed and had no heart beat. The machine, when applied to the person's chest, will assess the heart activity and decide whether or not to electrically shock the heart in an effort to restart it. It will not deliver an electric shock unless required.

It is safely stored so that if it is needed, anyone can access it by calling 999 for the code to open the box. You can find it on the wall at the Masonic Lodge in Marshall Row, near the bottom end of Park Road. 







This Defib has been provided by the Dorset Masonic Care (DMC), the Freemasons of Dorset have raised the money to provide this defib along with one outside every lodge in Dorset. 

Our thanks to the Freemasons of Dorset for raising the funds to supply Swanage and all its visitors with this vital life saving device.

Photograph courtesy of Nikki Harman



Volunteer Week........time to say thank you




See if you can see one of our team members featured !

We will let you know when our pins arrive

Saturday 1 June 2013

Dive Boat Preditor

This morning Portland Coastguard took a channel 16 distress call from Dive Boat 'Preditor' (they chose to spell it that way) who was concerned that a diver was suffering from decompression sickness (DCS - also known as 'The Bends').

After some radio confusion aboard the dive boat, the Swanage Lifeboat and the Portland Coastguard Helicopter - Rescue 106 were dispatched to stabilise the casualty and then airlift him to the hyperbaric chamber for decompression.

Swanage Coastguard were tasked to oversee the return of the boat and give some words of advice regarding radio usage and general rescue management.

Given the nature of the incident and the casualty's diving history the diving kit was, as a precautionary measure, impounded by Swanage Coastguard Team. Late this afternoon the casualty was given the all clear and came back to Swanage to collect his kit. Words of advice were given about declaring medical conditions to dive boat skippers as this would greatly assist in any future rescue.