Off the Beaten Track

Well, not strictly, but as with yesterday  the second of this weekend's patrols spent a lot of time off road and looking at different ways to access various locations.

Today, after a small tasking at Old Harry (where the DSO was put to good use taking photographs for a walking party), the team headed back to the Rempstone Forest area to check some routes there. After that it was up onto Nine Barrow Down and a look at the best routes to get up there depending on exactly where the incident is and where the vehicle is coming from when tasked.

 

Nine Barrow isn't a regular spot for call outs, but they do happen so it pays to be prepared. In recent years we have had at least two mountain bike incidents up there resulting in Coastguard and helicopter intervention.  It's a location that a regular ambulance just wouldn't reach.

This is at the Corfe End of Nine Barrow Down 

Serious Off Road Patrol

Today the patrol headed out with quite a list of things to achieve.

Quick check of the beach before heading to Rempstone Forest to check access and gates.

As part of mapping project we then headed to Franks Tank.

This area is a popular cyclist route and the team could be called to provide off road assistance to the ambulance service.


The Station Officer thought he found franks tank only to be told it was Nicks muck spreader.



Oh there it is ...... Franks Tank


The patrol carried on to check access , found a couple lost on their bikes and put them on the right road.

Off to Studland to check down the Ferry Road and that was four hours worth of patrol and 26 miles of access routes checked.

Coastguard and Lifeboat tasked to broken down jet ski

This afternoon the pagers of both the Coastguard and lifeboat crews were activated for a report of a jet ski and inflatable in distress on the Peveril tide race.

Swanage NCI were keeping watch until the Inshore Lifeboat and Coastguard arrived.

It appears a rope fouled the jet ski , however as the lifeboat arrived the rider of the ski had managed to sort the problem out.

All were escorted ashore to the waiting Coastguard team who offered some safety advice. In his type of incident the Coastguard team are sent to become the eyes and ears of the Operations Room in Fareham and to offer safety advice to those involved.

Decisions, Decisions

The pager goes and the voice over suggests there's a cliff faller at Tilly Whim, although a call to the Operations Room says it's for a lady who has fallen on the coast path.

I text the full team and drive to the station, thinking about the job. 

On arrival, one team member is prepping the cliff trailer but it's not a cliff job. So do we take it or not?  I decide we will - it might be useful.

The team arrives - its a work day and some can't make it. Have we got enough or do we need back up? Given the details to hand, I decide we have enough and we proceed.

En route I talk to the Operations Room and it becomes apparent that the ambulance hasn't arrived yet. We will be first on scene and I decide to ask the Durlston Park Rangers to assist with possible crowd management and 4x4 help with moving our kit and they are waiting when we arrive.

On scene,  I decide to send a couple of the team down first to assess the casualty whilst others set up the stretcher and a hold fast - its a steep slope and I decide I'd rather have a hold fast in place in case we need it later.

The ambulance can't give us an ETA and the lady is in considerable pain but I decide not to attempt to move her onto our stretcher just yet - I'd rather not move her before we have to.  Instead I think about how we are going to extricate her from her current location.

I weigh up the options and decide that it warrants a helicopter;  I request one and the control room agrees. It'll be 22 minutes.

I decide to keep some of the team suppporting the causalty and ask others to prepare the landing site.

And so the decision making goes on, all the way through until we stand down. We train for all eventualities, and our OICs (Officers in Charge) undertake extra training in order to be competent to run a rescue. But there are some decisions that cannot be rehearsed and need to be made, often under pressure and often at short notice, on the spot and at the time.

We always have a debrief afterwards and discuss what went well and what could have been done better and we look to put that learning into our next job.

Our aim acheived: a safe and successful rescue and a happy team.

Helicopter and Coastguards tasked to second medical incident.

For the second day running, the Volunteer Coastguard Rescue  team   has been working with the Rescue Helicopter, this time supporting Police and South Western Ambulance with an elderly lady who had fallen in town and sustained a serious  head injury.

Some of the team assisted at the scene of the incident where the helicopter initially tried to drop its winchman. However, with a crowded half term beach, it was agreed that a safer course of action was to land at King George's Field and convey the winchman/paramedic to the scene in our own vehicle.

Meanwhile, another unit was tasked to Poole to prepare the landing site for the helicopter's arrival there. 

Thanks to the Chain Ferry staff who waited for us,  only for us to turn round at the ferry ramp when it was decided that the helo would fly to Dorchester A&E instead.

Finally all units returned to King George's to transfer the casualty from the ambulance to the helicopter and assisting the ambulance out of the rather muddy field - our thanks to the tractor driver for his help.

And last of all, once the muddy overalls were off, a quick photo and all stand down before returning for a debrief. 

Helicopter at Anvil Point

The Coastguard volunteers have been back in action today, responding to reports of an 84-year old lady who had slipped awkwardly at Tilly Whim.

On arrival at Anvil Point the team set about making the lady comfortable and assessing her pain and possible  injuries.

The lady, who was part of an organised walking group, had slipped on a particularly steep section making extraction potentially difficult, and so the Rescue Helicopter from Portland was called to assist.

Working with the paramedic winchman,  the team stabilised the casualty and carefully loaded her onto the helicopter stretcher for the short journey to Dorchester A&E.

Despite it being a beautiful sunny Autumn day, and lovely for a walk, the ground is currently very slippy underfoot and we would urge anybody out for a walk to take care.

Thanks to Ian the walk leader for the photo and also for his assistance through the afternoon.

More Trailers

Like a scene from thunderbirds we have had a extra pods trailers this week.

One for the cliff equipment.

One for the water rescue equipment.

A spare !

Soon need a bigger station !

Going to the Coast ?

Taking a trip to the Coast ?

Make sure you know the weather and tide .

Ensure you have the right clothing.

Plan your route

Don't put yourself or others in dangers

Is it safe to do what your planning ?

See someone in trouble 999 Coastguard

Sandbanks - Swanage Chain Ferry - going for a refit

The chain ferry at the entrance to Poole Harbour will be out of service from the 6th November (20.00)

The expected refit time will be two to three weeks however that is subject to the weather.

So it's the long way round for a while

What did you do this evening?

Watch the TV ?

Go to the pub ?

Or go for water rescue training ?


The team headed down to the beach in the dark to practise their water rescue skills.


Different techniques were practiced under the instructions of the SCOO.

We are volunteers

It's 00.40 and twelve households suddenly come to life - fire alarm , no it's the pager.

Lights turned on , shouts of "be quiet" as the twelve volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers try and get dressed whilst calling into the National Maritime Operations Centre.

"Full team call out for a search at Rockley Park Poole" We are told .

Overalls and boots on and run out the house trying to keep quiet.

Drive to the station to get further details and start the drive to meet the Police.

Thankfully on arrival at the station the team is stood down as the Police have located the female safe and well.

That is a daily occurrence for the 3000 plus volunteers in the 340 teams around the UK.

All the team members have their full time careers but when paged and available will respond to Coastguard incidents.

#always on call

Grey sky

The view towards Ballard this morning , all a bit grey.

A sail training ship in the bay , it's all quietening down after the busy summer.

If you are going out for a walk on the coast , check the tides and weather.

In a coastal emergency 999 Coastguard

More local knowledge checks

Over the weekend the patrol headed out to continue checking the area.

Kayakers rescued off Durlston Head

The Coastguard team and both Swanage RNLI Lifeboats were tasked to Durlston Head this morning to several reports of some kayakers in trouble .

The watch keepers at NCI Peveril and a call from a member of the public saw the volunteers of both services paged.

Two of a group of five kayakers had difficulties around Durlston Head , rolling and unable to get the water out of their Kayaks.

Both lifeboats arrived and recovered the five on boat the large lifeboat and brought them back to the Coastguard team on the pier.

Weather Changing

The view from above Anvil Point, finally the wind is changing from the east to the south.





After a week of easterly winds the seaweed arrives on the beach.

First Aid

Last nights first aid training

The volunteer team train to keep their first aid skills up.

Ever wondered what happens to out of date first aid kit?

First aid kit has a sell by date so if we haven't used it, it gets withdrawn from service.

Rather than throwing it away, it gets put into the practise kit and used for training sessions.


The end result of tonight's training using some out of date bandages.

So the new kit stays in use and the old kit is " recycled"

A place with a view

After yesterday's incident the team went on patrol.

You wouldn't think this was October ?


At Anvil Point looking west.

Call to a boat drifting on to rocks

The team were paged just after 2pm to a report of a motor boat drifting onto rocks at Studland.

Poole RNLI lifeboat was also tasked to assist the motor boat.

Having monitored the boat until the lifeboat had it under tow the team were made aware of a child who has lost his parents.

A quick phone call and all were safely reunited.

1am call to Anvil Point

An early morning call to Anvil Point this morning.

The team were paged at 1am after a 999 call was received from the emergency phone at the Anvil Point Lighthouse.

There had been no speech when the call was made so the team were tasked to check the phone and search the area in case someone was in distress.

On arrival the phone was checked and the line found to be dead. The team checked the area but found nothing.

The fault has been reported to BT

Easterly wind eats the beach

A view of the beach today showing how the easterly conditions have squeezed the beach.




See someone in trouble on the coast ? 999 Coastguard

Washed up items

Autumn has arrived with a strong easterly wind today.

Some items have been reported washed up today including a dinghy , lobster pots and a section of the old pier.

Never put yourself in danger trying to recover things from the beach.

Some items are subject to wreck and salvage laws.

If you discover something on the beach which you are not sure what it is - call 999 and ask for Coastguard.

Coastguard Trailers

Over the years the team have had a number of trailers.

The trailers are used to carry additional  rescue equipment and over the years that equipment has changed.

These are our current trailers that are being used.

However here's one from some years ago

Coastguard Gig

A little look back in the records has found this photo of some Coastguards with their gig in Swanage.

 

It was in a gig like this that Coastguard's rowed out to the wreck of the Wild Wave on Peveril Ledge in 1875, after this rescue Swanage got its 1st RNLI lifeboat.

 

Looking at this photo its taken close to the where the new lifeboat station is being built and may have been taken around 1875 before the lifeboat arrived.

Seagull Cafe - it really is the final day

A piece of Swanage history comes to an end today, and this year its final.

The world famous seagull - home to many of the emergency service and locals is moving.

A special thanks to Ali , Gill, Irene and Lauren for their continued support throughout the year.



2017 ..... A new start

999 Call for possible dinghy in trouble

Just before 2pm the team were paged to a report of a sailing dinghy in trouble off Anvil Point.

The patrol were just heading out so were soon on scene to confirm all was ok and the dinghy had made it back to Swanage.

The original informant was thanked for their call.

If you see someone in trouble 999 Coastguard.