LAST week, a member of Boscastle Coastguard team created a mock rescue scenario for Bude Coastguard Rescue Team and further members of Boscastle CRT, which involved two surfers reported missing after dark, having not returned home.

With their last known position being Widemouth Bay, the team quickly organised themselves into search teams once on scene and soon thereafter found one of the exercise casualties on the beach.

It was ascertained that the second casualty had attempted to return to his van, so the search teams were redeployed to find the van and the second casualty.

After a search along the cliffs in poor and challenging conditions, the van and subsequently the second exercise casualty were located. With mock injuries including possible hypothermia, the second exercise casualty was given emergency first-aid and then secured into a stretcher and carried to an imaginary waiting ambulance.

A Bude Coastguard Rescue Team spokesperson said: “Although this was an exercise, this reflects the very real situations that both teams will be tasked to throughout the year.

“It was a useful and well co-ordinated practice and some superb extra experience for Rescue Officer Bude 05 (second from left) who is undergoing training to become a qualified Officer in Charge (OIC).

“I’d also like to offer our sincere thanks to Boscastle CRT, we can’t wait to repay the favour.”