Pan Pan this is Sea-King 131……
The shrill bleep of the pager cut through the music playing in the background. Geoff pulled his hands from the soapy washing up water and grabbed a towel, a trail of glistening bubbles alighting gently on the floor in his wake.
A hurried phonecall to Humber Coastguard established his unit had a job, and struggling into his blue boiler suit and boots, he made his way out into the pale blue of the fading evening light.
For many years, the Coastguard have assisted with maritime emergencies all over the UK. Geoff is a member of the unit stationed at Boulmer, a stones throw from RAF Boulmer, where Sea-King 131 is stationed, poised for action should any member of the armed forces or public need assistance.
This time, however, it was the rescuers who needed rescuing.
Coastguard units are made up of volunteers, men and women who give up their own free time to train and answer call outs at all times of the day and night. Frequently the pager sounds the call to arms at an ungodly hour, for everything from searching for a missing person among the vast swathes of dunes and cliffs which make up the Northumberland coast, to a boat going aground at one of the small working harbours dotted along the incredibly beautiful yet treacherous coastline.
Sea-King 131, crewed by Squadron 202, covers a vast area of both sea and land in the North East of England. Get the bends on the Farnes or at St Abbs, and odds on it is these boys who will be coming to lift you. Also, fall on one of the fells in the Lakes, and again, it is 131 who will be on their way.
Known as Rescue 131 when tasked, the sight and sound of the helicopter is a familiar one around this area, the helipad being less than 2 miles from our front door.
The tools for the job….
The Coastguard have numerous stations dotted along the coast, usually based at small fishing ports, with regional sector stations based at significant locations. Boulmer is a comparativley small station, with 5 members of the team on call 24 hours a day. Based in a small stonebuilt building, annexed onto the lifeboat station, they carry an impressive array of equipment.
Working as a team they carry enough equipment to rescue people from any number of scenarios, be it a fall on rocks, or working alongside other units the ability to pluck someone from a perilous position on or around any cliffs in the area. Beach searches, communication excercises, cliff excercises and competency training sessions are carried out regularly to maintain training levels.
Above is a photograph showing the kit carried by one crew member on a shout.
- Large 1st Aid kit,
- Survival Bag and foil blanket,
- VHF Radio and spare battery,
- Gloves, Rope,
- Torch, Personal Life Jacket,
- Casualty Life Jacket,
- Maps and compass,
- Safety Glasses,
- Personal Helmet,
- Navigation Equipment (GPS etc),
- Ear defenders,
- Whistle,
- Waterproofs and a wooly hat!
This Coastguard unit also has its own vehicle - a Toyota Hi-Lux. The rugged coastline of Northumberland needs to be accessible by the teams, so a 4×4 is essential to their operation. It also means the crew can be on scene quickly as it is fitted with sirens and lights. Despite the number of Coastguard stations in the UK, time is often crucial in any of the rescue scenarios, batting against the tide, the weather or injuries sustained all mean that getting to a remote spot quickly is vital.
Much of the kit needed by the team is carried in the rear of the pickup, with an impressive array of tools for the job. Rescue equiment, personal safety kit and first aid equipment is all packed as standard on any shout.
Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan, this is Sea-King 131…..
Geoff pulled to a halt outside the station, opened the heavy wooden doors and drove the vehicle out onto the wet tarmac. The radio on channel 0, a restricted channel for coastguard use only, he calls in he is now mobile and en-route to the shout.
Sea-King 131 has had to make an emergency landing in a field not far from the station, and ditch equipment and personnel before returning to base. They are needed to recover the equipment. As he releases the brake and turns on the sirens and lights, the radio operator in Humber Control relays the message he can stand down - Craster Coastguard Unit have the situation under control and he is no longer needed.
Back to the washing up!
Its not all blues and two’s….
The Coastguard is also responsible for many other areas of maritime safety. School visits are commonplace now, urging youngsters to remember to be “Sea Smart” and if they see someone in trouble, to call 999 and ask for Coastguard. Missing children on busy beaches are all too common, and it is this band of volunteers who will leave their day jobs and do the searching. All to often they are overlooked as an emergency service, prodiving the vital link in the coastal communities of the UK.
Regional Radio Operations are probably the most commonly know aspect of the coastguard, with the familiar voices over the airwaves on channel 16 and 67. Channel 16 is constantly monitored for any distress signal, and should not be abused in any way. Be sure to avoid using it between on the hour and five past, and half past and twenty five to - these times are kept as silent as possible to detect any weak distress signals.
Incident co-ordination, liasing Coastguard teams and the RNLI is all done by the main sector offices, such as Humber, Clyde, Forth and Shetland.
Safety inspections on vessels, certification for passenger craft and disposal of out of date flares and other marine pyrotechnics are all dealt with by the Coastguard.
If you have a problem, let the coastguard know. It is better to stand down a crew when they are not needed than it is to get them on station too late - call 999 and ask for coastguard.
Good write up, and smashing piccies.
Comment by Andy Nye | March 9, 2006