LAST year (2019) was a quieter year for Bude Coastguard Rescue Team with, to date, just 23 shouts. But although there have been fewer incidents, the nature of many of them has been markedly more severe.

The working year began dramatically with a race to rescue a female who had badly injured her leg amongst the rocks at Crooklets Beach, with an incoming tide and heavy surf lapping at her feet as the team got her into a stretcher and negotiated the rocks and tide to get her to a waiting ambulance.

So began a year full of variety in what the coastguards were tasked to attend, including several shouts involving animals — these were most often dogs reported to have fallen over cliffs (incidents that they attend to save members of the public attempting to rescue their pets themselves — 99% of the time the dogs are bruised, confused, but fine), but this year the team were also called to an incident where a member of the public had reported suspected human remains (which turned out to be a very human-looking seal), and to a report of a stranded whale (that turned out to be a very ‘whale-like’ rock).

There have, of course, been some very serious incidents too that did not have such good outcomes. However, what shone through for the Bude Coastguard Rescue Team, in these multi-agency incidents was the dedication, teamwork, sensitivity and professionalism shown by all in attendance, working closely together in some very distressing circumstances.

Last year also saw plenty of ongoing training by the teams, with lots of cliff rescue practice, and further search practice as the team prepares for their upcoming L&MPS (Lost and Missing Person Search) training later this year.

This year the Bude team also gained a new member of the team, taking them up to the full complement of 12 coastguard rescue officers, as well as gaining two newly qualified OiCs (Officer-in-Charge). They also currently have two members of the team training to become community first responders, and another rescue officer who is on standby to start training as an ambulance technician.

The Bude Coastguard Rescue Team offered their thanks to those that help support the vital work they do.

They said: “We’d like to round off our 2019 report by saying thank you to our colleagues in our neighbouring coastguard rescue teams, Boscastle and Hartland, who are always on stand-by should we require extra personnel for a rescue. It’s good to know they have our back.

“Thanks also to our colleagues at the HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter base in Newquay, who have joined us on many call-outs this year, as well as the Bude RNLI lifeguards, lifeboat crew, and our local community first responders.

“We are a very lucky team to work alongside such a professional and dedicated bunch of men and women.

“Finally, we’d like to save the biggest thank you to our families and friends, who all understand that when the pagers go off, so do we.”

Don’t forget, should you see anyone in trouble or injured on the cliffs, in the sea, or on the coast, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.