Meet Your Coastguards: Barry CRT
Barry is a peninsula and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. The area’s unique coastline has the world’s second highest tidal range, a whopping 15 metres.
The town and island grew substantially in the 19th century, whereby it became linked to the mainland with the opening of Barry Docks in 1889.
Barry continues to be very popular with tourists and locals alike, who enjoy pretty parks, promenades and sandy beaches. Barry has also gained a cult following, after the iconic backdrop was used as a setting for several hit TV shows.
Here, we speak to father and daughter Barry Coastguard duo, Station Officer Chris and Coastguard Rescue Officer Hannah Fletcher.
Why did you join HM Coastguard?
“We all have busy work and home lives, but I joined HM Coastguard because I wanted to give something back to the local community,” says Chris, Station Officer at Barry Island.
“My Daughter Hannah joined the Barry Island team as a Coastguard Rescue Officer (CRO) last year, and I am very proud that she has followed my desire to help others.”
Hannah adds: “I joined HM Coastguard because I’ve always seen how passionate my dad is about the service, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps to give back to the community. It’s such a rewarding role, and it’s a pleasure to ‘learn the ropes’ from my own dad, helping people when they need it the most.
What is the most unusual incident you have attended?
“The most unusual incident I have attended was when a truck drove on to a pebble beach and couldn’t get off,” says Hannah, “they called their own recovery truck, and after several failed attempts, and the recovery truck almost sliding down the rocks, they eventually got the truck off! The driver thought it would be a good place to drive!”
“Very similarly, the most unusual callout for me was when someone drove a car with a boat on a trailer on to the beach and waited for the tide to come in to drive the boat off,” says Chris, “it obviously ruined their car!”
What is the most unusual place you’ve been when your pager has gone off?
It’ll come as no surprise to many that both Chris and Hannah share a memory here, as Chris recalls: “The most unusual place I have been when the pager has gone off was at an ice hockey game with my family. I had to run off mid game to attend.
Hannah adds: “Mine was as I arrived at the ice hockey game! The match hadn’t even started when I left to attend!”
What is the most challenging part of your role?
Being Station Officer, Chris’ primary concern is about keeping a calm head and planning a response for what to do and how to ensure everyone’s safety. He says: “It’s hopefully also going home knowing we have made a difference and helped those in need. It’s a challenge for us all in terms of training to be the best we can be, while helping others to learn new skills.”
Hannah adds: “The most challenging part of my role is dealing with people in a mental health crisis, as we always want that person to get to a place of safety for help. Sometimes it may take hours to get that person to safety. It’s always the unknown of what could happen, but when they’re safe there’s always a big sigh of relief.”
Which local beach is your favourite and why?
“We have three beaches local to us, Jacksons Bay, Whitmore Bay and The Old Harbour in Barry,” says Chris, “they’re all lovely, with huge areas of sand, and they get very, very busy on nice sunny days.”
Hannah’s favourite beach is the Knap. She says: “It’s a lovely place to have a BBQ with family and friends and watch the sunset in summer while listening to the waves.”
What do you enjoy most about being a member of the team?
“The thing I enjoy most about being part of an amazing team is knowing that we can all rely on each other to stay safe. With there being so much knowledge on the team, I’m always learning,” says Hannah.
Chris adds: “It’s just a fantastic thing to do, being part of such a great team. It’s always a good feeling when you have helped someone on a bad day.”
What new skills have you learned as a CRO?
“I started 10 years ago as a CRO and knew very little about the Coastguard,” says Chris, “but I’ve learnt so many new skills in this time, from water rescue and search skills for missing people, to becoming a qualified rope rescue technician. Plus, I’m now the Station Officer after taking on the role three years ago. I love it, and I love working with our team of 12 volunteers.”
For Hannah, there’s also a raft of new skills to put into practice. She says: “I’ve learnt so many new skills as a CRO, such as many different knot techniques to how to complete a rope rescue, and how to perform water rescues and first aid. I am constantly learning new skills and it’s helped me a lot in my day-to-day life too!”
When you’re not working or volunteering as a CRO, what do you enjoy doing?
Both Chris and Hannah share similar interests, as their family loves to be outdoors. For Chris, it’s running, cycling, and kayaking, and for Hannah, a fun afternoon usually involves riding her horse through the countryside and taking her dog for a walk.
What do you do for a living?
Hannah works as a Police Officer, while Chris is a self-employed plumber.
