Keeping watch , staying safe

It's hard to believe that it's the end of August , summer is drawing to a close.

As September arrives , so the weather will begin to change.

Make sure you check the weather and the tides before taking to the water.

Know what you are doing, ensure someone knows where you are going and what time you are due home. Ensure you are dressed for the activity and have the correct safety equipment.

Our patrols will be out and about to answer questions on local conditions

In an coastal emergency - 999 Coastguard

A thank you means the world

During kit night tonight we were suddenly joined by Rob and Celyn.

The last time we saw Rob, he was quite badly injured on the Ferry Road after falling off his bike.

The team provided first aid until a paramedic arrived.

Rob was in hospital for a couple of days, treated for a possible broken neck, eye and facial injuries.

We don't often see the people we help so to see Rob was great.




Having then checked the post box, we had received a lovely card in connection with a recent search - a thank you means a great deal to the team of volunteers

Good bye and thank you PC Hickman

Today is the official last shift for PC Kyle Hickman in Swanage.

Kyle has lead the the neighbourhood policing team and been the face of policing in Swanage.

We have already mentioned his departure to Australia in previous blogs but today is his final shift as PC 2718.

There has been tears of laughter and tears of sadness in the 10 years we have worked together

We salute you.

Purbeck Running

The team rearranged its patrol today to coincide with the Purbeck Runners 5km race in Studland.

The race is very well organised with good safety provision, but there's no harm in having the local Coastguard team on hand just in case, with its 4 wheel drive capability and good knowledge of the Studland Heath area. 

Well done to all who took part, including a familiar face from our CG colleagues at St Albans!

Well done Ian!

Le Kayak

Earlier in the week, we told you about some snacks that one of the team was promoting. 

Well now it seems he has gone one stage further and set up his own canoe hire business, as discovered by our roving reporter on holiday in France.

 

You don't have to go to France to get out on the water this Bank Holiday weekend, with kayaks, row boats and paddle boards available for hire locally in Swanage, Studland and Wareham.  Take care out on the water, check the tides before you go, wear your lifejackets and make sure you have got some working communication - VHF radios are far better at sea than mobile phones!

#999Coastguard

Betty and the Snakelocks

No, not a new sci-fi TV series, nor the name of rock band playing in one of Swanage's pubs this Bank Holiday.

Instead, this is about Betty from Andover, and her legs.  Betty is three and was paddling in Studland last week when she suddenly felt a stinging pain on her legs and saw a large rash developing. 

Betty's legs - taken and published with permission from Betty's family

It seems that Betty had been stung by a snakelocks anemone, a sea anemone often found in shallow waters of the South West.  This is the second incident like this we have seen this year.  Whilst pictures will show long flowing tentacles with purple tips (see Wikipedia), it can just as easily resemble and be mistaken for seaweed, and you wont know you've been stung until it is too late.

Snakelocks anemone on a South Coast beach

The team advised the family to wash the leg thoroughly with cold water and then introduced them to NT staff who offered some sting relieving spray.  The trick is not to rub the area as the sting can be transferred to other parts of the body on the hand.

Finally, Betty had a chance to look around our truck (MRU), to see some of the kit we've got and to press a couple of buttons to make the lights work - NO!, please not the red one!! - all of which hopefully cheered her up a little.

Safety at the Beach

On another sad day yesterday, with more lives lost around our coast, the BBC have issued some guidelines on how to stay safe - see below.

How to Stay Safe at the Beach and in the Sea

Remember: Coastal Emergency = 999 Coastguard

Missing Child had walked 2 Miles

The full team was called yesterday evening to assist Dorset Police in a search for a 5 year old child who had gone missing from Knoll Beach in Studland.

The young lad was found an hour after he was first noticed missing by a concerned member of public some two miles away at Shell Bay.

With a Bank Holiday weekend approaching and some scorching temperatures, the beaches are currently packed with families and it's more important than ever for parents to keep a close eye on their children, as they so easily vanish into a crowd. And as we saw yesterday, even at a steady pace, children can soon find themselves a fair distance away.

Think about agreeing a place to rendezvous and/or a child's wristband with your name and mobile number on it

Emergency at the Coast -  #999Coastguard

Helicopter Operations

One of our Blog readers has sent us some video clips of the Coastguard Rescue helicopter busy at a medical incident on Swanage beach last week.

Andy Worboys, who took the videos from outside the Spa Beach Huts says "We holiday in Swanage every year all the way from North Yorkshire, have done so for our anniversary every year since 1985, and it's worth every one of the 340 miles to get here, not least because of it's local people who live and work and obviously love this wonderful town. Thank you all."

Thank you Andy, for coming to see us, for your kind words and for the clips.

In Video 1, the winchman is dropped from the helicopter into the Swanage RNLI Inshore lifeboat, and brought into the beach from there.  This avoids blowing sand everywhere by hovering above the beach itself.

In Video 2, the helicopter lowers a stretcher in preparation for a casualty lift. Again the ILB stands by to recover it, but the helo crew drop it precisely and accurately at the waters edge.  Although it's difficult to see, the CG team had cleared a large area of beach by this time to facilitate this operation. Our own stretcher is capable of being winched, but where possible the helicopter crew prefer to use their own.

In Video 3, the helicopter has landed, and the casualty has been secured and moved a few hundred yards by road for helicopter transfer to hospital. It's much easier to load a stretcher when the helo is stationary and on the ground, rather than winching it in whilst hovering. We see the helicopter take off and head for Dorchester.

We must remind onlookers that helicopter operations can be dangerous, and the down draught from being too close can knock people off their feet as well as sending sand, grit, dirt and other shot media into faces and eyes.  When we ask you to keep back, it is for your safety as well as the safety of those conducting the operation.

Six Deaths at the Coast

A sad weekend, including one death in Dorset, as reported by the BBC News Website.

Take care at or near the coast and keep an eye on changing weather conditions.

In an emergency, Dial 999 and ask for Coastguard.   #999Coastguard

Special snacks

It seems the team now have snacks named after them. These were found in the vehicle after a call out this week.

Check the weather

This was the weather and sea conditions yesterday at Anvil Point.

The patrol checked key areas of the patch yesterday when the unusual August arrived

Check the weather and tides

Coastal Emergency 999 Coastguard

Are you on firm ground ?

Our colleagues down at West Bay had a serious incident this week when a large section of cliff fell away.

Thankfully no one was injured but the Coastguard continue to warn of the dangers of Cliffs and cliff edges.

The above photo was taken this week near to Old Harry , please take care near cliff edges.

Coastal emergency ? 999 Coastguard

The last patrol

A rather sad day for us yesterday , Kyle headed out on probably his last patrol in the Coastguard before emigrating down under.

We thought we would head up to Ballard , our highest point in the patch before he starts his new life upside down !




When we headed back to Swanage we were liaising with an ambulance crew when they asked us to assist with an incident on Shore Road.

The Sun Shines and more incidents

Another day and another busy day for the volunteers of Swanage Coastguard yesterday.

The team were paged on the request of Dorset Police to assist in a search for a missing 4 year old at Knoll Beach.

On route the Police confirmed they had found the little girl at Middle Beach so the team were released.

However the team heard the RNLI ILB being tasked to a person in the water off Knoll Beach so continued to get an early view of what was occurring.

The small Orkney boat was spotted and the inshore lifeboat was directed on to the boat. there was concern for a person in the water but it appears they had been trying to sort an engine fault. The lifeboat towed the boat to Poole.

As that was happening the team were approached by a lady with a very distressed young child who appeared to have been stung. The team assisted along with National Trust Staff.

Now the news is the weather is changing and for Friday strong winds and rain ..... Check the forecast.

Keep an eye on your children

After yesterday's incident with a missing 5 year old the team headed out to distribute wrist bands and safety information to beach visitors.




Kit bag loaded with first aid kit , wrist bands and water.

The team carried out a small first aid incident after someone got stung.


Stay safe on the beach

Keep an eye on children

In an emergency call 999 Coastguard.

Woman falls into old quarry

Swanage Coastguard , St Albans Coastguard , Dorset Police , South Western Ambulance were tasked 500 metres west of Anvil Point to a lady fallen in an old quarry in Durlston Country Park.

Paramedics arrived and requested assistance after the 63 year female suffered spinal and neck injuries, having tripped and then fallen 15 feet into the base of old quarry.

Rescue 106 from Portland arrived on scene and with everyone working together transferred the female to the aircraft and on to Southampton Hospital.

Missing child found safe on Swanage beach

Swanage Coastguard along with Dorset Police , Rescue 104 and Swanage RNLI lInshore Lifeboat were tasked to Ocean Bay to search for a missing 5 year old.

The young girl was last seen near the waters edge so a call was made on 999.

Coastguards arrived and started an immediate search locating the young child with a member of the public who had found the girl further up the beach.

All units resumes at 11.38

HM Coastguard have issued a safety plea to visitors to the beach to keep a close eye on children when at the beach. Yesterday  the Coastguard responded to nine separate incidents of lost children on UK beaches.

What did you do at the weekend ?

A little reflection of the weekends events.

We went to a beer festival , ( on patrol for those at HQ)


What a beautiful sun set down at Studland


We met our friends ( Police and Ambulance ) on the Ferry Road and got close to nature.


We went for an early morning run along Studland beach and met some more friends ( The RNLI inshore lifeboat crew from Poole)


The Swanage Coastguard model railway club popped to Harmans Cross after a little incident at Studland.

The Patrol popped up to see more friends at Seacombe ( St Albans and Ambulance ) before every body came back to Swanage Beach and met up with the Police, RNLI and Ambulance.




The crew of 106 popped over to visit

And to end the weekend it was back to Studland to have a search and meet our Police friends again.

#allwaysoncall

What did you do at the weekend?

Jurassic Coast

Some unusual wildlife spotted during a walk round Durlston Country Park this evening.
Visitors are advised to exercise caution.

Multi Agency Casualty Evacuation from main beach

When an elderly lady fell and broke her hip on the main beach this afternoon, the volunteer Coastguard team was called in to co-ordinate the rescue and evacuation operation .

Initial first aid was provided by the RNLI beach wardens and the inshore lifeboat, which was already on the water for a PR exercise.

Because of the nature of the incident, rescue Helecopter 106 was called, with its winchman/paramedic being lowered onto the ILB to be brought ashore, rather than directly onto the beach which would have resulted in a sandstorm and a lot of sandblasting to anyone nearby.

Once the winchman and ambulance paramedic were content that the casualty was comfortable on the stretcher,  the team moved her off the beach and into the police 4x4 vehicle for a short transfer to the aircraft which had landed at King George's Playing Field, the landing site having been readied and secured by coastguards not involved at the beach.

Once safely in the aircraft the lady was moved to Dorchester hospital where we hope she makes a full recovery.

RNLI Lifeguards, RNLI ILB,  SW Ambulance,  Dorset Police, Swanage Coastguard, St Albans Coastguard, Rescue 106 : a true multi agency team.

Cyclist and a serious water incident

Last night the patrol were flagged down on the Studland Ferry road after a cyclist had come off their bike at speed.

The male had received a serious head injury but thankfully a cycle helmet had probably saved his life.

The team provided immediate first aid and treated the male at the side of the road. Ambulance and Police were called to assist , with the area dark and busy with other road users.

A South Western Ambulance Paramedic arrived and worked with the Coastguard team before an a ambulance arrived to convey the male to Poole Hospital.

Our Thanks to the motorist who first stopped to help.

All services resumed just after 11pm , the value of a wearing cycle helmet showed in the incident.

At 03.40 the team the team were called to a report of a person shouting for help in the water off Studland.

Two young gentleman had been on the beach when they heard cries for help, they called the emergency services and guided us to their location.

On arrival we found the pair and a 27 year old male on the shore line who had been in the water for some time.

Poole RNLI inshore lifeboat had been launched to conduct a search.

The Coastguard team again gave immediate first aid to the 27 year who had been in a canoe before it had sank. The male was very hypothermic and the Coastguard requested an immediate ambulance to a North Haven by the Chain Ferry.

With the males condition the lifeboat was requested to land on the beach pick the male up and get him to the ambulance at best speed.

The actions of the two males reporting this incident along with the actions of both the Coastguard and RNLI crew could have seen this incident turn out very differently.

The team returned at 04.40

Studland Beer Festival

The team headed out last night to patrol Studland and see how the Beer Festival was going.

Lots of people enjoying themselves but some advice if you are visiting today.

Lifejackets are useless unless worn. If you are coming ashore wear your Lifejacket don't leave them in the locker.

Remember where you moored your boat.

South Beach is a special area, respect others and the marine environment.

Cycling to the event ? - ensure your bike has lights , leave in plenty of time to get the last ferry. The road is unlit and remember the road is two way - observe the Highway Code.

Finally the Coastguard isn't a Taxi service , we regret we have no room to put your bike on the vehicle and give you a lift to the ferry.

What a view

Being land based we only normally get a view of our cliffs from above looking down.

When you go over the cliffs we often rely on the climbers handbook as a guide.

This week we were very lucky to get a boat trip from Swanage to view the cliffs and look up for a change !




The team testing their sea legs


A recent fall near to the Globe


Some very interesting and challenging locations were discussed



A massive thank you to Pat and Pete at Divers Down who kindly arrange the trip and to our great friend Dave ( who kindly skippered the boat )

Hugely beneficial for the team to see the patch from the sea and then to enjoy a BBQ with the lifeboat crew and other friends at the pier.

Suspicious object found on Swanage Beach

A section of Swanage beach was cordoned off this afternoon after a suspicious object was found on the beach.




A heavily corroded object was found on the beach close to the Battlegate toilets. A concerned member of the public called the Coastguard concerned it was a piece of ordnance.


The Coastguard were joined by Dorset Police whilst the photos were checked by specialist from an EOD team.

The EOD team liaised direct with Coastguards on scene and talked through several checks to confirm what they thought it was.

Thankfully it was confirmed as a section of cable on this occasion and has been removed for safe disposal.

We would like to thank the public for their patience during this incident.

Dog over the cliff and a mystery rope

Just after 4pm both the Swanage and St Albans Coastguard teams were tasked to a report of a dog stuck on cliffs at Studland.

The team arrived at Fort Henry where members of the public confirmed the dog had got to the bottom and been collected by its owner. The team searched around South beach locating the owner and dog and confirmed it was safe.

The dog had somehow managed to break out of the beach hut it was sat in , run up the path and then over the cliff. Thankfully the cliff isn't too high and the beach below cushioned the landing.

After that incident the team were treated to a trip along the coast on a boat , more on this tomorrow , however whilst on route a rope was spotted at the Marmolatta Buttress. There appeared no climbers anywhere nearby so the team went to investigate. Thankfully on arrival at the top the rope had gone and there was no sign of any climbers equipment.

Its not fun being second

A little theme has been running in the team this week.......

Somebody came second in the Carnival Boules competition.

Somebody came second in the Carnival Treasure Hunt competition

Somebody is second in command of the team





Nick , never second in the biscuit tin.

Medical Incident at Swanage Pier

The team has been out this afternoon, responding to a boat returning to Swanage with an unwell crew member aboard.

Coastguard Volunteers supported the SW Ambulance crews at Swanage Pier

Initial reports suggested a heart attack, and the nearest defibrillator (in this case the one by the rowing club) was taken as a precaution - it really shows the value of these assets to the town.

In the event, once ashore the individual was soon feeling better and after a check over in the ambulance, he was released and on his way.

Thanks to local fisherman and RNLI volunteer Tom Greasty who was fishing nearby and who attended the boat on hearing the initial call for help on the VHF radio.

Running on Empty

Minutes before the Firework Display last night a member of public alerted the team - via the local police - to a small boat on the main beach with a leaking fuel tank, causing petrol to be spilled onto the beach.

On investigation, the tender's outboard engine fuel tap had been left on and, owing to the angle that the engine had been cocked over, petrol had steadily dripped into the boat itself rather than onto the beach.

Whilst the team tried to identify an owner, the tap was turned off and some sand scattered inside the boat to soak up the puddles of fuel; the petrol smell was really strong at this time.  Finally, the area was taped off as a precaution.



When the owners returned, they confirmed that the whole tank had drained, and made a note to be more vigilant in turning the fuel off next time. Fortunately they had more petrol on their yacht, but it did mean having to row back instead, the rowing duties being given to the chap who'd forgotten the tap in the first place!

Sadly, the owners hadn't completed and registered a CG66 form, otherwise we may have been able to track them down earlier.  This is a voluntary register kept by HM Coastguard which helps us to identify boat owners when boats are missing, stolen, found, washed up or otherwise in difficulty.  Why not register yours today?

It's another hot day

All around the country volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers will be on patrol - ready to respond but also to give advice to keep people safe.

#999 coastguard

Put a cover on it !

With temperates due to increase this weekend a little tale to take care in the sun

Skin cancer is on the increase in the UK and that reality came true for me last year.

Despite always being careful and never sun bathing I was diagnosed with having a basal cell carcinoma on my forehead.

Thankfully my doctor spotted it and it was removed very quickly.

So my advice is , if you don't want to have one of these




The post operation view ....


Take care and wear one of these along with a factor 50 sun cream

Carnvial and Coastguard

Its difficult to explain Carnival week and how the volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers fit in.

Many of the team members take a week off from their normal jobs to enjoy the events and just be about in case of an emergency.

This came into its own yesterday when the incident happened on the carnival event field. Five team members suddenly were at scene to assist out emergency service colleagues.

After that there was a lady collapsed on the sea front which the RNLI lifeguards dealt with along with Police and Coastguard.

This was followed by a concern for two persons on a kayak , with the assistance of the lifeguards both were checked and given words of advice.

So in between incidents the team enjoy their holidays , take part in events and occasionally have a short sleep to recharge the batteries.




A coiled spring ! A short nap before the procession , # always on call

Multi agency incident

Dorset Police received reports at 1.46pm today, Wednesday 3 August 2016, that a bouncy castle came loose from its position on Shore Road in Swanage.

Officers together with the ambulance service and HM Coastguard attended and established that a giant inflatable slide belonging to a private stallholder as part of the Swanage Carnival week had come loose.

In total nine children were treated at the scene. Most were described as walking wounded and were cared for by on-site paramedics before going home.

Of that nine, one child was taken to hospital as a precaution and three were taken to the minor injuries unit at Swanage Hospital for a further assessment.

None of the injuries sustained are being described as serious.

Deputy Station Officer Struggles in Crabbing Contest

With Carnival still on and the sun out , carnival events have restarted .

We have just had information that the Deputy Station Officer has entered the crabbing competition but is falling behind




It's a crabbing competition ??

The FISH has been safely returned to the water

Yacht aground

A trip for breakfast soon turned into an incident when the Station Officer noticed a yacht in a slightly unusual position.

The single crewed yacht had come aground just by the Mowlem and with the conditions this isn't a usual place to land.

The National Maritime Operations Centre were informed just in case, whilst the crewman placed an anchor astern and winches himself off the beach with just enough tide left.

The vessel was monitored until safely offshore and thankfully the situation was resolved

999 Coastguard - #always on call

It will be back..... ( the sun )

Sunrise on Monday before the rain came , on Shore Road Swanage.

The heavy rain and change in weather saw Swanage Lifeboat launch last night to a yacht off St Albans.




The Station Officer and Deputy caught on camera during this years carnival.

Carnvial Day and the little yellow car

The teams headed out yesterday for the annual Carnvial Procession , only to be followed by a little yellow car.

The car got more attention than we did!







The little yellow car , behind the Coastguard car.


Oh hang on , change of driver , the DSO


To be fair the little yellow car belonged to the son of Nick who won 3rd prize.

The car is currently pride of place at the station.


Another procession over and hopefully lots of money raised for local causes.