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helipad | www.daat.org Main picture: The MSC Napoli wrecked on the East Devon coast in 2007Below: Members of the Beer Coastguard team receiving their accolade
For those in peril at sea and on the coast T
he Coastguard has always been there, a dedicated group of people who carry on a vital role throughout the year without too much recognition. I had an image of them in mind from years ago backed up by those television adverts with ‘Joe and Petunia’ encouraging people to dial 999 and ask for the coastguard. That film advert came out in 1968 and yes I am old enough to remember it! Things have obviously changed since then - equipment, techniques, technology and communications but not the total commitment to saving life and watching our coastline. With that in mind I spoke to the Beer Coastguard team who have recently been awarded a trophy by their community. Station officer Terry Hoare told me about the history and service of his ‘watch’. Tell me more about Beer Coastguard and the changes you’ve seen? The station at Beer was built in 1946, the building is at the top of the village along with the garage for the emergency vehicle. We respond to any members of the public dialling 999, 24/7. We liaise and support the RNLI, the police and in fact any of the emergency services. We are all volunteers with a range of ages. My brother and I are the two oldest and the youngest is 32 but, regardless of age, we all have a lot of experience. How far do you cover and are there major calls that spring to mind? We can go to assist in any incident from Lyme Regis and as far down to Teignmouth! It depends on the seriousness of the situation and what’s happening. Obviously we are known for helping out at sea and on the shoreline but what we do is now quite varied, such as perhaps helping out inland at road traffic accidents. In terms of specific shouts, the MSC Napoli springs to mind, an incident which went on for two and a half years really! When it first started, I spent the best part of a week on Branscombe Beach dealing with the containers being washed up. Recently we had to deal with a woman who fell from the cliffs
while walking between Beer and Seaton. She had apparently stepped off the path to look back to where she had come from and slipped. We estimate she fell something like a hundred feet. Somehow she stopped on a small ledge with a sheer drop to the rocks at least eighty feet below. Holding on to a bush with one hand she managed to get the phone out of her pocket and called 999. We had to set up a rope rescue and send someone down the cliff. We had HART (Hazardous Area Response Team), Devon Air Ambulance and the Coastguard helicopter at the scene. We sent our technician down the cliff, secured her and brought her back up with thankfully very minor injuries. At the top we simply handed her over to the ambulance service and all was well. It wasn’t until the lady was safely back on firm ground that you suddenly realise what you’ve done and how you’ve helped save a life. How often do you get called? Last year we had seventy nine incidents. This year so far we’ve done eleven. This is our quieter period but we know summer will be busy. You must be delighted that your work has been recognised? Yes, of course. The Beer branch of the Royal British Legion have given us a community award from the village of Beer which was presented to us for our community work during the last year during COVID lockdown. Things must have changed for the service and for you over the years? Yes, things certainly have changed! In the past, the Coastguard used to do physical lookouts to sea but, with modern communications, we no longer have to do this. When I first joined in 1986, we were also still using the rocket line apparatus, that used to fire a line out to a stricken vessel but, again, with new technology and better equipment, we no longer need to do this. But, whether it was years ago or just last week, when a job comes in we all just do our best on the day.
Backchat
Meet: David Fitzgerald - BBC Broadcaster and DAA Patron David first began broadcasting on commercial radio in the early 1980s, before moving to television. As well as a busy broadcasting career David still finds time for writing as well as enjoying a regular round of golf.
Fitz
