Muddy tales

 

A few more photos from the mud training at the weekend.  The above photo shows the equipment following the training.

 

 

Dry practise "pepper potting" or using the stretchers to cross the mud, if only the equipment stayed this clean. 

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

 

Mud Rescue Training

In our second training session of the week, the team learned the 'theory' being mud rescue, with a 'practical' to follow next week.

All Coastguard Rescue teams are trained in First Aid, Search and Water Rescue techniques. In addition,  and depending on their location, some are also trained in rope rescue (cliffs) or in mud rescue.

With the northern part of our boundary being along the shoreline of Poole Harbour,  it's been decided that we ought to have a mud rescue capability too, and so this session was the first in that process.

Below we see Allan our SCOO, explaining how the lance pushes water and air underneath a stuck person to loosen the mud around them and free them.  Ian tries it out in the station and then, with the water jetting, he gives it a go outdoors.  Next time it'll be in the mud!

Serious incidents with super low tide

With one of the lowest tides of the year the Swanage Coastguard team were tasked just after 5pm to a person stuck in mud on the shores of Poole Harbour.

A bait digger called 999 reporting he was stuck in the mud at Jerry's Point near the chain ferry.

The Poole Coastguard team were tasked being the area's mud rescue team along with the Swanage team. On route the Poole team were diverted to another person stuck in the mud in Poole so assistance was requested from colleagues from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service.

The Swanage team arrived and deployed their water rescue equipment however due to the thick mud where unable to get near to the trapped male.

Swanage HM Coastguard Water Rescue Technicians on scene 

With the tide coming back in, and the light fading the team requested the Poole RNLI Lifeboats to standby.

The Fire Service arrived assisted by Swanage Fire Crews and deployed their team using inflatable rafts. The trapped male was soon released from the mud and brought ashore , cold and wet as the tide had come in. The male was checked by Ambulance and released shortly afterwards.

Water Rescue Technician ready to deploy

 

Dorset Fire and Rescue ready an Inflatable Pontoon

Dorset Fire and Rescue make their way out to the HM Coastguard Team

Photos: Chris Dragatis - Swanage HM Coastguard

Whilst the trapped male was being brought ashore the Swanage team were made aware of a further incident of four persons being cut off by the tide near Swanage.

Part of the team immediately deployed to search, backed up by the Poole Coastguard Team who had come over on the Ferry.

Both Swanage RNLI Lifeboats were launched to search and were joined by both Poole RNLI lifeboats searching from Poole to Durlston Head.

Thankfully one of the Swanage Lifeboats spotted the four people stuck on the landslip near to Old Harry having walked there at the very low tide.

With all persons accounted for, both Coastguard teams, all 4 lifeboats, Dorset Fire and Rescue and South Western Ambulance returned to station.

Tonight people are posting photos of the low tides on social media, we remind people to take care and not put themselves or others at risk.

A similar tide is expected tomorrow and it is not advisable to walk to Old Harry.

In a coastal emergency dial 999 and ask for Coastguard.