Arrive at Five

It's the May Bank holiday , the sun is shining and that may see an increase in boat usage in the bay.

If you are visiting Swanage and approaching the shore line , SLOW down and respect the speed limit.

Be aware of other users of the bay, especially swimmers and divers.

The speed limit is marked by yellow buoys about 400 metres from the shore.

Lets all work together to keep the area safe.

Teams called for second search

Just before 11pm last night (Thursday) both Swanage and St Albans Coastguard teams were tasked to support Dorset Police.

Police had requested the teams to assist in a search for a male missing in the Swanage area.

On arrival at the station and whilst a search plan was being drawn up, Police confirmed the male had been located safely.

The teams stood down and re packed the search equipment.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Search finds missing female

Both Swanage Coastguard and St Albans Coastguard teams were tasked to assist Police around 22.00 at Studland for a missing female.

The Coastguard teams were quickly joined by both the Swanage RNLI Lifeboats.

Search teams deployed covering the cliff tops and the lifeboats searched the base of the cliffs out towards Old Harry Rocks.

Twenty minutes into the search, the RNLI inshore lifeboat crew spotted the female shouting for help at the base of the cliff.

Cut off by the tide the crew picked her up transferred her to the lifeboat, which met an ambulance at North Haven Steps as the effects of the cold were setting in.

Stay back on cliff edges

Poole Harbour Patrol

Today's patrol concentrated on reaching some of the more remote shoreline of Poole Harbour, which forms the northern boundary of our patch.

 

We are not often tasked to these areas, such as Ower Quay, Cleavel Point and Goathorn Pier, so it's good to check the tracks are still driveable and we know the way.

 

What are the chances we get a tasking out this way now?

Appeal for Missing Poole Man

Missing man, David Horsford, 16 April 2016

Police in Poole are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 67-year-old man who is missing from the town – with a picture of the missing man being released.

David Horsford, of Samson Road, left his home at around 7.30am this morning, Saturday 16 April 2016, after telling his family he was going for a short walk





David is white, five feet eleven inches tall, of slim build and was wearing a black Berghaus jacket and green Craghoppers trousers.

The NPAS helicopter and marine section have been assisting local officers with the search for David.

Chief Inspector Jim Beashel, of Dorset Police, said: “I understand that David has not been in the right frame of mind recently and cannot walk very far. For him to have not have returned home is completely out of character.

"We are releasing a photo of David in the hope that the public may know of his whereabouts. He was wearing the same jacket pictured when he left the house, but has lost some weight since the photo was taken.

“I’d urge anyone who knows of David’s whereabouts or who has seen a man matching his description to contact the police straight away.

“His family are very concerned for his wellbeing and we simply want to know he is safe and well."

Anyone with any information or knowledge as to David’s whereabouts should call Dorset Police on 101, quoting incident number 16:145.

Search at Studland

The team were tasked this evening to assist the Police in a search at Studland.

Police were concerned for a female who may have been on the cliff top around the Old Harry Area.

Coastguard Officers searched the cliff tops and were joined by the new Swanage RNLI Lifeboat and Inshore boat.

The area has been searched and with no further information all search teams have been stood down.




The new Swanage Lifeboat was tasked on it maiden Callout tonight

Washed up

The strong easterly wind has managed to break the mooring to one of the 5 knots bouys.

The buoy was discovered this morning near to the Spa beach huts.

An email to the Town Council has seen it recovered to be redeployed by contractors.

If you are travelling to Swanage by boat, please observe the 5 knot speed limit .

Exercise Liftout

The training continues for the team with an exercise to test locating a casualty, first aid and extracting the casualty to a safe location.


Casualty located - young man fallen out the tree with a head injury.


Team arrives, first aid being given


It's all a bit tight but the casualty is carefully strapped to the stretcher and then the long carry out.

Happy Birthday - 80 today!

Eighty years ago today, on 18 April 1936, the first triangulation pillar, or trig point,
was built in Northamptonshire at the start of an Ordnance Survey retriangualtion of Great Britain.

Read more about eighty years of trig points in this BBC News Article

 

 

This trig point is somewhere within our area - but can readers work out where?

It's not all on the coast

This mornings patrol went a little inland to check access for some popular mountain bike ride.

The teams are available to assist our partners in medical emergencies if required.




Kingswood near Rempstone





Back to the beach and just stopped to check a dog was with its owner.

Killer Whale washes up at Studland

Today's patrol came across some volunteers from the British divers marine life rescue team in the process of rescuing a whale.

On closer inspection it was soon discovered this was a training exercise and the whale was an inflatable one !

Despite that and having the Coastguard parked next to the exercise many people thought it was real

Rider thrown from Horse at Studland

The team were tasked to Pilots Point on Studland Beach this morning to deal with a young lady who had fallen awkwardly whilst out horse riding. 

Working with SW Ambulance paramedics, and joined by colleagues from St Albans, the team stabilised the casualty before moving her to a safer location away from the incoming tide and sheltered away from the fresh wind.

The Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance was despatched from Henstridge and duly flew the casualty to Poole Hospital.

Our thanks go to the National Trust and the Neighbourhood Police Team for their assistance and offering a 4-wheel drive capability in this remote location.

Mystery Bangs?

Two nights ago there was a lot of noise with bangs and helicopter noises in the distance.

It was a foggy night but there was definitely a Chinook helicopter in operation off Swanage.

A quick check on AIS showed the ' Hartland Point' also off Swanage.




These ships are used to ferry military equipment around the world.

So was it a coincidence that a ship, a big helicopter , some Royal Marines and then large bangs may indicate an exercise?

The sister ship to Hartland Point is called Anvil Point by another coincidence !

Those Hard-to-Reach Places

Not all of our incidents are conveniently located next to roads or car parks where it's easy to get equipment and personnel to, and frequently we find ourselves carrying kit by hand.   Of course, we get as near to incidents as we can with our 4x4 but this is heavily dependant on ground and weather conditions.

On patrol last Saturday the team checked the access routes out towards an area known as Cattle Troughs (we check the state of the tracks, check that gates still open, we oil padlocks etc) and it gave an opportunity for some off road driving practice too.

Part of the skill of off road driving is knowing the limitations of the vehicle with regard to the terrain and knowing when to get out and complete the journey on foot.

 

Time to walk - in this case on the top of Ballard

 

Dancing at the ledge

The weather was certainly wild on Sunday.

A trip to Dancing Ledge,normally a popular climbing area shows the power of the sea.

How different is the weather in 24 hours ?

High Tide on Saturday Morning - flat as a mill pond. Water was high but not coming over the top.





Just past high water on Sunday - strong easterly wind , Gee Whites had waves coming over the wall

Training pays off.

It's amazing that having trained this week on first aid and casualty handling the initial response team are requested by the police yesterday to do it for real !








The team have been practising their 1st aid skills over the last couple of months working alongside our colleagues in the other services.

After the incident yesterday those involved paused to pack up equipment ( a lot of what you can see about) . Then it was time for a quick team photo before heading back to do clean the mud off.







Multi agency working at its best.....

Coastguard team tasked to assist Police.

This evening the team were tasked to assist Dorset Police in a field near Westfield Farm , Swanage Road Studland.

An 80 year old male out walking with a family member collapsed in the field some distance from any road.

The local Neighbourhood Policing Team managed to use their 4x4 to get to the male in the field and started to care for him. Other officers were ferried to the scene as the tracks were unsuitable for normal vehicles.

The Police requested Coastguard assistance with their stretcher and a couple of Coastguard Rescue Officers.

The team arrived along with a Paramedic and with some excellent multi agency team work had the gentleman on the stretcher and across the rather steep field just as the ambulance arrived.

One final barbed wire fence , a pair of pliers , some long legs , some carefully placed blankets and the male was safely being treated in the Ambulance.

Our thanks to the owners of the farm for their assistance.

More from the Pines Hotel works

A further update following the photos earlier in the week.  With the pile of rock and earth slowly being removed, the extent of the cliff stabilisation works can be clearly seen.

Elsewhere in Swanage, the RNLI crew continue training on their new boat today, the steam railway has a gala weekend with scheduled trains going to the outskirts of Wareham for the first time and the sun is out.

Have a good weekend all.

Lifeboat sent to dinghy

A 999 call to the coastguard saw both Swanage lifeboats sent to a dinghy which was drifting out .




Inshore lifeboat and all weather boat heading to dinghy.


ILB along side


Safely ashore.

New Shannon Lifeboat Arrives

Our colleagues at the RNLI are preparing to welcome Swanage's new 'Shannon' class all-weather lifeboat when it arrives in its new home at 12.00 noon today, and family, friends, supporters and members of the public are invited to the pier area to welcome it in.

The crew have been getting familiar with the George Thomas Lacy for a little while now, and the lifeboat blog has plenty of pictures and details of the training and build up for the big day.

The Coastguard Team will be there to see the boat home and we wish the crew and their new vessel good luck and safe travels in their future rescues and we look forward to continuing to work with you.

Four dogs rescued at South Beach Studland

Boris safely in the arms of his owner after an hour stuck on the cliff face

The Swanage and St Albans Coastguard teams were tasked to South Beach this afternoon to four dogs that were stuck on the cliff.

Oddly the dogs had run UP the cliff on the very low tide, one had fallen, one got stuck and two safely made it back to the bottom of the cliff.

The team were joined by the Dorset Police RIB which provided water side cover along with the Neighbourhood Policing team who kindly used their special 4x4 vehicles to move kit and people about.

Whilst the Coastguard had tried to get the dog down , other team members from both rescue teams set up on top of the cliff to lower a technician down. This side of the incident was slowed down by having to cut through several bushes to reach the cliff edge.

The local National Trust wardens also assisted and finally the trapped dog was safely reached before the team above deployed the technician.

Once down the injured dog was taken by its owner to a local vets to be treated.

Normally we would ask owners to keep dogs on leads near cliff edges however as stated the dogs were on the beach and ran up a track. The owners called 999 instead of trying to rescue the dogs and putting themselves at risk.

Pines work taking shape

The work under the Pines Hotel is taking shape and the material on the beach is slowly being removed.

999 - You could save a life

Off road at Studland

Today's accident prevention patrol headed out to Studland.

The beach was quite busy so we headed down the tracks to the rear of the beach.


A little bit of off roading and route checking


Returning tonight the barge is laying the 5 knot buoys in the bay.

On Patrol on Ballard

Roger and Kerry showing off their new uniforms.


On top of Ballard with Studland in the distance.


The patrol stopped and talked to a couple of para gliders


Roger takes a turn ..... ....... Taking a photo

New Community Rescue Centre Opens

After a project first discussed back in 2005, a new multi agency rescue centre has opened (briefly) in North Beach Car Park




Each service will take turns using the garage to store their vehicles.


Please knock first ! Dorset Police, South Western Ambulance and the new Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue all have 'facilities' at the North Beach Hub.

There is a 'convenient' red and green light to show when each service is available.

True partnership working.