HM Coastguard

Sunglasses and safety at the ready? Heading for the coast this Bank Holiday?  The sea won't spot the difference between the experienced paddleboarder and the rookie swimmer. And coastal paths won't care whether you're a seasoned walker or stepping out on your first hike... If you’re looking forward to enjoying some longed-for warmer weather, please remember that, although stunning, our coastlines can be challenging when it comes to safety. At the start of what’s set to be a busy summer around the UK, we’ve put together a few easy-to-follow safety tips that will help you and your loved ones make the most of the coast.      Rudy Rescue. Credit: Prawle Point Coastguard Rescue team  Latest rescues  Accidents on the coast can happen in the blink of an eye and catch you out before you know it whether you’re a local or on your first break in ages. Here’s selection of some ‘everyday’ incidents where our help has been needed in the last week. Rudy Rescue: Muc...

 HM Coastguard's specialist rope rescue teams were called in just before 9am on Friday (21 August) to help the Scottish Ambulance and the Fire and Rescue service at a remote location in Scotland where a man had fallen around 30ft down a steep, difficult-to-access gorge and onto the riverbed below. Coastguard Rescue Teams with specialist expertise in rope rescues were sent from Burghead, Inverness and Nairn, together with a Senior Coastal Operations Officer to the scene on the river Findhorn. And they played an important role in a challenging multi-agency rescue. One of the Coastguard Rescue helicopters from Inverness was also dispatched with a winchman paramedic on board and emergency services partners from Scottish Ambulance and Scottish Fire and Rescue were at the scene.   Until the early afternoon, the teams worked closely together in the difficult circumstances and isolated location to find the safest and most efficient means of getting the man to safety.  The added p...

Watch the dramatic moment when a man was rescued by a HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter in a remote area of Cornwall on Sunday (10th November). The team on-board Newquay-based Sikorsky S92 aircraft were actually airborne and on their way to Land’s End for a routine training exercise – but received contact from the Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team and the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC), reporting that a man had fallen into the water at Porthcothan, a coastal village between Newquay and Padstow. Walkers at Park Head cliff tops in Porthcothan saw a local fisherman washed off the rocks at Bedruthan Steps and straight into freezing cold seawater. Responding to the incident straightaway, the search and rescue helicopter headed to the scene but were roughly 30 minutes or so away from caring to the man. Fortunately, during the time it took for the search and rescue team to arrive at Porthcothan, a quick-thinking member of the public managed to throw a life-ring...