999 CALLS ALERT COASTGUARD TO PEOPLE CUT OFF AT ARNSIDE

Two people, along with their two dogs, had to be rescued after they became cut off by the tide whilst out walking at Far Arnside near North Morecambe.

At 11.10 this morning, Liverpool Coastguard received a flurry of 999 calls from concerned members of the public who could see the people out walking and reported that the tide was coming in around them.  At 11.15 one of the pair involved rang Liverpool Coastguard to ask for help.  He told the Coastguard that they were trying to make it to shore but being forced back by the water.

Liverpool Coastguard sent the Arnside Coastguard Rescue Team (who are equipped with rescue jet skis) to the scene, and requested the launch of the Morecambe RNLI lifeboat.  With the water coming in fast around the pair, 999 calls continued to come into the Operations Room from worried members of the public ashore.  The Coastguard Rescue Team located the casualties, who were by this time knee deep in water, and supplied them with lifejackets and prepared them for transferral into the lifeboat, which arrived at 11.50.  Liverpool Coastguard also called an ambulance, which was waiting ashore and checked over the two people, who were deemed to not require medical attention.

Graham Parr, Watch Manager, Liverpool Coastguard said:

“The spring tides present at this time of year bring tides that are both higher, and stronger, than usual, and so it is even more important that people check the tide times before they venture out on a walk.  Of course, in this location, we also have the Arnside bore, a tidal bore that brings fast flowing water that can be perilous for anyone on the beach during an incoming tide.”

Popular posts from this blog

Label your kit at the coast

Image
Kayaks. Canoes. Paddleboards. What do they all have in common? They’re quite often found on the coastline or drifting out to sea. And if we don’t know who they belong to, we can spend time searching for an owner when they’re home safe and sound. So please help us to help you. Label your kit so that if you do get separated from it, and it turns up somewhere, we can get hold of you. In recent weeks, our Coastguard Rescue Teams have found numerous items such as kayaks and canoes drifting out at sea or abandoned near the shoreline. Unfortunately, some of the items we have found have not had their owners’ contact details written on them nor been reported as missing to the Coastguard. As a result, it makes it difficult for us to find out who it belongs to and also means we can never be completely sure if someone is safe or in the worst case, in trouble at sea. This can place a huge strain on our resources especially during the busy summer period when we have to call upon our Coastgua
Read more

A short history of HM Coastguard

Image
Today HM Coastguard is a world leader in maritime search and rescue. Looking back almost 200 years, the goods, which now travel by road, were carried by hundreds of small ships. Year in year out dozens of ships and hundreds of lives were lost within sight of the coast. Public shock and dismay at the tragedies drove forward the creation of national life saving organisations. Though it’s beginnings lie in those decades HM Coastguard originated not to meet the dangers of the seas but to combat a threat to the country’s economy and security – smuggling. As soon as medieval taxes were charged on imports and exports, people began smuggling. By 1743 th e estimate was that half the tea drunk in Britain was illegally imported and shows that smuggling was highly profitable. Smugglers have often been romanticised but the reality was brutal. Local people lived in fear, with violent reprisals on informers and the murder of revenue officers, while corruption enabled smugglers to evade harsh p
Read more

Emergency Radio Procedures: Does your fishing crew know what to do?

Image
DSC emergency radio procedures                                                              Picture: Planefocus Fitting a Digital Selective Calling radio on your vessel and knowing how to use it in an emergency could save your life.   If the worst were to happen at sea, using a DSC radio correctly can save vital time in getting those in trouble back to the shore.   Calling HM Coastguard with DSC in an emergency significantly helps in locating an incident and providing that help.      Most fixed VHF radios come with built-in DSC, meaning the Coastguard can be called easily and fast.   Assistant Chief Coastguard Matt Leat said:  “DSC means information is sent quickly and clearly so a rescue can begin right away. As well as having a registered personal locator beacon (PLB) per crew member on board, with DSC you’ll be assisting the Coastguard in locating you much faster.   “No one wants to be in an emergency situation and have to use DSC or a PLB, but that does not mean your vessel sho
Read more