Team achieve Mud Status

HM Coastguard are the coordinators of all civilian maritime search and rescue around the UK, in other words if someone needs rescuing around the coast and out to sea , its the Coastguard who control the various rescue assets.

One of those "assets" or declared facilities are the Coastguards own Volunteer Teams who depending on where they are in the country are trained in various disciplines.

Those disciplines are Rope, Search, Water Rescue and Mud and each of those disciplines have different levels , awareness, operator, technician.


Dry Practise using a mud stretcher

Swanage has been a Rope, Search and Water Rescue team , with a mixture of skill levels.  Yesterday four of the team qualified as mud technicians.

The equipment (both stretchers) towed out to a person trapped

The mud rescue equipment is currently based in Poole , so anyone travelling along the holes bay road on Saturday will have seen us parked up on exercise.

Mud is a very different rescue skill and extremely physical - try walking with two small children attached to your legs for 4 hours and that should give you an idea of what working in mud is like.

Mud can also be quite toxic.  Please don't try this at home, the rescuers wear dry suits, Floatation Jackets, gloves  and "Mudders" special foot wear.

After the various training exercises just getting back ashore caused a problem , look at the mud !!

Don't try this at home , The rescuers wear special footwear to stop them sinking.

Once the tide came in , it was back to the station for 2.5 hours of cleaning ! Again safety to ensure that mud isn't ingested

 

Some more of the team will be assessed in a couple of weeks which will increase the teams capability