UK COASTGUARD — IT'S AN ADVENTURE

Bringing new meaning to the old US Army (paraphrased) slogan, "It's not a job, it's an adventure," the UK Coastguard (they use one word) gets some oddball jobs if the weekend of January 25-26 is any indication.

On January 25, Inverness Coastguard Rescue Team, specialists in swift water rescue assisted in the rescue of various animals and farmers who were threatened by fast flowing and rising water in sleety rain and high winds. Initially a call was made to the Coastguard at Aberdeen requesting assistance to trapped individuals at Knocknashalavaig, on the River Beauly, where the river had burst its banks and had risen four feet trapping some farmers with 25 head of cattle. At 10.40 the Coastguard were then alerted to a further 40 sheep which had also become stranded further down the river

Also on January 25, at 1400 Brixham Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received numerous 999 calls from members of the public with reports of a hang glider that had apparently made an uncontrolled descent into cliffs at Portwrinkle. Brixham Coastguard tasked Tamar Coastguard Rescue Team, with Looe Coastguard Rescue Team as backup and Royal Navy Rescue Helicopter 193 from RNAS Culdrose to the scene.

Then on January 26, at 1940 Portland Coastguard received a 999 call requesting assistance in the rescue of a climber stuck on cliffs near Swanage. The alarm was raised by the climber’s friend, who made the emergency call from the nearby Anvil Point Lighthouse and reported that his friend had got into difficulty while climbing the Marmolata Buttress, near the lighthouse. Portland Coastguard tasked Swanage and St Albans Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRT) to the scene, along with the RNLI Swanage Inshore and All Weather Lifeboats. The casualty was located near the base of the cliff, five metres above the water line.