Coastguards honoured with Chief Constable's Community Service Award

It’s always nice to be told you’ve done a great job and that you’ve made a real difference.

Members of Hartlepool’s Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) have been honoured along with Steve Hart, Senior Coastal Operations Officer (SCOO) when they received the Cleveland Police Chief Constable’s Community Service Award.

Back in May, Cleveland Police had been searching for a missing woman, who they found in the water near to Heugh Pier, Hartlepool. Hartlepool and Seaham CRTs were sent along with the RNLI, Cleveland Fire Brigade and North East Ambulance Service.

Once the teams arrived, it was clear that the RNLI lifeboat was not going to be able to reach the woman, who could be seen next to a rocky out crop, roughly 20 metres from the shore. The only way for her to be brought back safely was for the Coastguard to carry out a water rescue.

Steve Hart was placed on a line and waded against the waves, to get to the woman. He gave her immediate first aid, before being joined by Hartlepool Coastguard Rescue Officer Adam Hay. Seaham CRT then made a wedge - a group of four coastguards linked together which then went into the water carrying a stretcher out to the rocks. They placed the woman on it and carried her back to shore.

The woman was then taken into the care of the ambulance service and went on to make a full recovery.

Adam Turner, Senior Coastguard Operations Officer said: ‘We’re all really honoured to receive this award. Although this type of rescue is not something that we do every day, we train tirelessly so that when we are called on, we’re able to help. Its occasions like this that make me extremely proud to be a member of HM Coastguard family.  Although it was the Coastguard that was honoured tonight, it really was a multi-agency effort and by working together we were able to make a difference.’

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