Busiest year on record for Flint’s volunteer Coastguard rescue team
2019 was the busiest year on record for Flint’s seven-strong Coastguard Rescue Team.
The volunteers dealt with 89 incidents in what was a hectic year for the search and rescue team.
The team is trained to respond to emergencies day and night, every day of the year, they work closely with multiple agencies, including all the emergency services, RNLI and other Coastguard Rescue teams.
They have been called to a whole range of incidents across Flintshire, Denbighshire, Cheshire and Merseyside.
The volunteers carry out search and rescue operations if any people or boats are in need of help and have increasingly worked with police on more land based missing person searches in the area.
Last year the officers carried out 17 searches, were called to 13 water-related incidents and 10 police led incidents.
Drifting vessels, mud rescues, people cut off by tides and casualty evaluations from places such as Talacre beach have been regular occurrences for the team over the past 12 months.
Of the more unusual call outs, the volunteers responded to three incidents involving aircraft, these have mainly been light aircraft reported to be in difficulties on approach to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport.
Coastguard Officers have also carried out two animal rescues this year and have assisted with a road traffic collision.
[Click the picture to play a video from the team]
Flint Coastguard spokesman Jay Richards said:
“On all incidents we have worked closely with Holyhead Coastguard Operations Centre where the initial 999 call is taken and information gathered before we are tasked, a big thank you to all Officers.”
As well as 89 incidents the team also conducted voluntary hours, from station cleaning, equipment checks and cleaning, training sessions and attended numerous public relation events.
Flint Coastguard Management Team would like to place on record our gratitude to all the team for their commitment during the year, especially during some tough and busy times.
It has not gone unrecognised.
And let’s not all forget our wives, partners and family members as no doubt a lot of events have been interrupted due to the Alerting & Tasking system sounding.
We can’t do this job without your support.”
The team is set to be bolstered this year with the addition of two new recruits.
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