Sunrise over Swanage

Visit Swanage

Come on folks, the sun is out and looks like its going to be out a another week, so why not pack your bags for the weekend and head down to Swanage for a weekend?

Looking for somewhere to stay? Want to know whats on? Then click on the hospitality web site.

Agent Eric

I thought yesterday’s blog might stimulate some response but little did I know that the
Station Officer would take it as an opportunity to be frightfully mean to poor Eric (see comments after the blog yesterday).

He's not that old ....to his credit he doesn’t look a day over 75!

Sorry Eric, to cheer you up, a nice photo of you!

Eric's-chopper-at-sunset.jpg

Kayak Patrol

It was a sunny evening last night so I went for a stroll ....well actually I went for a kayak accross the bay.

I would go out more often but it's bit of a pain getting these things to the beach, they are actually quiet heavy and awkward to move, especially with all the other equipment, ....paddle, buoyancy aid, radio, spray top, throw rope, etc etc. If only someone in the team could design something to make life a bit easier.......cue Special Agent Bentham who we believe is working on a prototype launching trolley.

What's the round black bit at the front of the kayak?? Well it's a 'dry hatch' where you put stuff that you want to keep dry, the only problem with this one is that it leaks!!

Storm in a Teacup?

Call that a Storm! It was flat calm in the bay at 17:00, although there was some decent surf over the Ledges at Peveril Point.

In Swanage we appear to have weathered this storm well, although a major rescue is still underway near Selsey.

MCA News feed:-“Coastguards, Police, fire service and other emergency crews are currently on scene at Selsey searching for people who could be in the water or trapped in caravans after sea defences were breached. Approximately thirty people are being evacuated from Selsey West Sands Caravan Park by Coastguards, Fire and Rescue Officers and the Selsey RNLI Inshore lifeboat. None of the evacuees are in the water.

The Coastguard Operations Room at Lee on Solent received a call from one of its Coastguard Rescue Team members at 1.00 pm this afternoon reporting that the defences had been breached at the Caravan Park where 2,200 caravans are sited. The Selsey Coastguard Rescue Team, the Coastguard Rescue helicopter Mike Uniform, Sussex Police, West Sussex Fire and Rescue, the Fire and Rescue boat, South east Coast Ambulance and Selsey Inshore Lifeboat are all on scene and involved in the operation.”

A real multi agency rescue, well done chaps.

Meanwhile down at the Pierhead Cafe, the venue that likes to pride itself as being a ‘Stones throw’ from the beach!

…..tomorrow DSO Austen goes back to school.

A rumour

The other day my daughter returned home from school saying did I know a plane had crashed in Swanage Bay?

Now being a Coastguard and working for another Emergency Service, I had a two second panic that "one had slipped under the radar", and for some reason I had missed it, but reassured her that nothing had happened to my knowledge.

Nothing further was said on the subject, until yesterday when my wife's hairdresser asked what had happened in the bay the other day with the plane crash?!!!!!. The "story" is a fleet of ambulances and other emergency service vehicles were seen on the sea front dealing with this incident.

So, I have checked the Coastguard records, liaised with the Police and Ambulance and no one seems to know anything about this incident, have we missed something?????

I do like Swanage and the rumour mill, but on a serious note it perhaps reminds us of a couple of things:

1) If you see anything unusual, please report it to the emergency services, we would rather check it out then pick up a tragedy a few days later as no one reported it.

2) Rumours can cause all sorts of problems, and its amazing how quickly they get out of hand, we do our best to keep everyone informed but you can always ask.