Weekend round up

The team have had four incidents in the last few days.

A washed up flare on the beach saw the team tasked to assess its condition before taking it to the collection site in Poole.  Flares should be disposed of properly and not dumped at sea where they often come ashore and create a risk to the public.

Friday evening saw a 999 call for a yacht that may have been in difficulties off Durlston Head. The team monitored the yacht progress until it reached calmer waters in Studland.

On Sunday joined colleagues from Dorset Police and Fire at the "Fun in the Park " event at King Georges field.  During the event a young male asked for help with some cuts received from falling at the stake park.

Shortly after the team were tasked to the Old Harry area to support Police with a concern for welfare.  St Albans and both Swanage RNLI lifeboats were tasked to also support the incident.  The Police and team arrived and soon the situation was resolved which allowed the units to stand down.

Coastguard / Fire / RNLI Joint Exercise

Our training exercise this week concentrated on searches within shallow water - typically a few metres from the shore where objects could get washed up in the surf.

We were joined by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue's technical rescue team from Poole and also by Swanage's Inshore Lifeboat, partly to compare and contrast each other's techniques and capabilites and partly to become more familiar with working with one another.

Armed with wading poles, we arranged a 'line abreast' search marked by the lifeboat at one end and a shore-based Coastguard equipped with a throwline at the other.

DWFRS have a very useful 'sledge' along with a viewing device to see what's under the water.

The Coastguard team was invited to trial the sledge

Finally, one of the DWFRS team was recovered from floating in the water onto the sledge and from there onto the ILB and to safety.

Whilst the lifeboat was with us, we also went to the Sheps Hollow area to mark an old mooring which has been washed up and is frequently mistaken as ordnance, the most recent occasion being on Easter Monday.

The last time we trained with the DWFRS technical rescue team was on some rope rescue work at Durlston in October, so it was good to see them again.  Thanks to both DWFRS and to Swanage RNLI for a useful exercise.

Another Deer and a vessel aground

The day started with a call to Burlington Chine and a report of a deer fallen from the cliff.



Members of the public reported the deer fell onto the beach before swimming out to sea. The deer swam north and then turned south before becoming motionless and disappearing.



The team searched the beach and sent a unit to NCI at Peveril to search the bay but nothing further was located.



Later in the day, the patrol were tasked to a report of a vessel aground near to the Training Bank at Studland.  On arrival a large motor cruiser was high and dry so the team ensured the owners were safe.



Finally with the tide turned Poole RNLI ILB and Lifeboat arrived to assist the craft off the beach.



Whilst monitoring this incident the team also attended a yacht in the entrance to Poole Harbour having difficulties and assisted a broken down jet ski at Shell Bay.

Poole RNLI ILB , Poole Lifeboat and Coastguard Rescue Officers at Studland

A deer, An airlift and a Unicorn

A busy start to the Easter weekend when the team were called to Durlston to support colleagues from Dorset Fire and Rescue.



A number of calls had been received reporting a deer at the bottom of the cliff.  Swanage RNLI ILB was launched also to investigate and soon found the small deer in a cave.



Deer are quite common in this area and the advice from the Country Park Wardens is to leave the deer as they will get themselves out either by jumping back up the ledges or actually swim!



The crew of the lifeboat decided that they would recover the deer and released it ashore in Durlston Bay.



Shortly afterwards the team were tasked to Winspit to support colleagues from St Albans with a female who had fallen suffering a head injury.  Rescue 189 from St Athan was tasked and airlifted the lady to Southampton.

Rescue 189 - normally seen in Wales and North Devon !

Finally as we were dealing with the airlift , the team were called to a report of clothing left on Swanage beach.
The clothing and personal items (including an inflatable unicorn)  had been left for sometime and there were fears someone was in the water.  As the team arrived someone made themselves known and it was quickly established all was well.

Please if you see someone in trouble or some thing not right - 999 Coastguard rather than facebook.

Stay safe this Easter

Its the Easter Holidays , the sun is out so that will bring people to the outdoors.

Enjoy the holidays but some simple advice will ensure your visits will be even better.

Ensure you have the right clothing and foot wear for the activity you are doing.

Check the tides - don't get cut off.

Going on the water ? Ensure you have a lifejacket

Keep to foot paths

Stay away from cliff edges

Keep dogs on leads.

Its not health and safety gone mad, just some simple tips to try and avoid an accident spoiling your day.

In a Coastal Emergency - dial 999 ask for  " COASTGUARD"

Parish Slipway Closed

Further to our post yesterday;

Public Notice

PARISH SLIPWAY, SWANAGE (adjacent to the Swanage Museum & Heritage Centre, The Square), CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Due to the Parish Slipway having an extremely slippery surface at the present time the slipway has been closed. Relevant warning signage is in place.

Discussions are being held with the Environment Agency regarding advice on next steps.

Thank you for your patience whilst this matter is being resolved.

 Swanage  Town  Council 

Busy Thursday

The team were called on Thursday to Knoll Beach Studland to assist Dorset Police with a high risk missing person.

Spending nearly three hours searching from Middle Beach to Old Harry, a decision was made to stand the team down as all the key areas had been searched.

Police later found the person safely in Swanage.

Having just returned to the station the team were again tasked to the Parish Slipway after a report of some pollution.  Large areas of the  usual green seaweed had turned white and become very slippery.
The team met Town Council officials and having sent some photos to the Environment Agency advised that some warning signs be put up.

The Town Council have now closed the slipway and are working with the Environment Agency to remove the sea weed.

 

Finally it was out for rope training in the evening on the Downs at Swanage.

 

Team tasked to concern for person on the cliff

The team were tasked this afternoon to the north end of the bay and a person who may have got stuck on the cliff.

The person had been paragliding but landed in a wooded area later returning to the site  to recover their equipment.
 A concerned member of the public worried for their safety called 999 and the Coastguard were sent to investigate.

Having searched the cliff , the person was located having retrieved their equipment and making their way safely back to the beach.