Busiest year ever for coastguard team rescuers
ACOASTGUARD rescue team says 2020 has been its busiest year ever. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Bude Coastguard Rescue Team has been called into action to help those in distress.
The coastguard rescue team responded to 52 incidents, averaging around one rescue per week, making it their ‘busiest year ever’.
A spokesman for Bude Coastguard Rescue Team said: “Amidst this tumultuous year we saw plenty of ‘regular’ call-outs beginning with a very sad one on January 10.
“From then on, a broad range of incidents required our tasking by Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre. There was the usual share of dramatic moments, the team attended an incident at Hartland Point, where a seriously injured but seriously lucky cliff faller had managed to raise the attention of nearby workers who were just about to finish for the day.
“The team also assisted our colleagues from Boscastle in a very challenging stretcher carry in wet and muddy conditions, from the base to the top of Strangles Beach.
“There was also an incident in which a kayaker found himself in strong offshore winds and blown far, far out to sea. Luckily he had a phone with a full battery and, working alongside our colleagues on board the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter and Bude Lifeboat, the man and his kayak were safely retrieved.
“There were also some lighter moments throughout the year, such as the time the team were paged following reports of a naked male possibly in distress having just emerged from the water at Northcott Mouth. Luckily it turned out to be a wild swimmer, enjoying a bracing morning dip.”
He added: “It is worth noting how the true essence of teamwork shines through at times like these, not only in dealing with the situation at hand professionally and with the utmost respect for those involved, but extending into the hours, days, and weeks afterwards, where team members check in on each other, making sure they’re doing okay, and offering an opportunity to talk, should they need one.
“We’d like to round things off for 2020 by firstly thanking the entire community of Bude and the surrounding areas for your support and assistance throughout the year, as we dealt with the effects of restrictions of the pandemic alongside our ‘normal’ duties.
“As we approach 2021, the message remains much as it has for the majority of this year – stay alert, stay safe, and should you see anyone in trouble on the coast, on the cliffs or in the sea, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.”
The coastguard rescue team also thanked its neighbouring teams in Boscastle and Hartland as well as the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 924 in Newquay, the Cornwall Air Ambulance, Bude Lifeboat, lifeguards and community first responders.