TWO COASTGUARD RESCUE OFFICERS WIN PRIDE OF BRITAIN AWARD

Colin Lodge and Chris Hornsey, along with members of the RNLI, have today been announced as the winners for the Daybreak Emergency Services Award, part of the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards.

It’s for their heroics on 30 September 2011, when Humber Coastguard co-ordinated a rescue mission to save 17-year-old Neil Robson, who’d become stuck in the sand off Seaton Carew. But the rescuers were facing a race against time, as the tide was coming in fast.

The Hartlepool Coastguard Rescue Team, led by Officer in Charge, Billy Spurs, was first to arrive on scene following a 999 call. Chris and Colin made their way into the water and were quickly joined by the lifeboat crew. It became apparent that scraping and digging the sand under the weight of the water was impossible and the OIC requested the assistance of the Fire and Rescue Service which supplied a high power hose to blast the sand. Neil was freed with his head just above the water and the tide still rising.

Chris said: “I am so honoured to have won the Pride of Britain award, a nomination that I have gained as a member of a team that all wanted to take the actions I took. Our aim was to get Neil out of the water as safely and efficiently as possible. This we managed to do with the help of all of the other agencies working together as a team.”

Greg Albrighton, Coastguard manager for the area, said: “I am so pleased that we’ve received national recognition through this Pride of Britain award, not only for Colin and Chris, but for the Hartlepool Coastguard Rescue Team and HM Coastguard as a whole. This rescue really was an excellent example of teams working together.”

The rescuers will now be invited to attend the awards ceremony on 29 October. The event will be shown on ITV1 on Tuesday 30 October.

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