Flint Coastguard Rescue Team share their stories as part Volunteer Week

Flint Coastguard Rescue Team – like all UK Coastguard Rescue Teams – is made up entirely of volunteers from all types of backgrounds, ages and walks of life.

As the country celebrates Volunteer Week members of the Flint based team share their individual reasons why they give up their time to serve with UK Coastguard.

Each of the team has a full time ‘day job’ including a full-time member of the Fire and Rescue Service, Home Appliance Businessman, Retail Manager, HGV Driver, Kitchen, Bathroom and Tile Businessman, Engineer and Medic & Security personal.  

All have one thing in common; they all give up their free time to respond to those in need on the North Wales coastline and beyond. 

Regardless of the time of day or night, the weather or the circumstances, the team are always ready to respond to emergency calls. 

Flint Coastguard Rescue Team consists of eight volunteers, the longest serving member of the team has 30 years service and the newest member three months. 

Deputy Station Officer, David Sutton said:

“I’m 32 years of age and since the age of 17 I have given my spare time to help volunteer in the local community of Flint and surrounding areas.

I’ve spent my time on the local RNLI lifeboat and now the Flint Coastguard  Rescue Team.

For me, I love the fact that I can give something back to the local community in which I have been raised up in, there is nothing more rewarding than that.

As a Coastguard Rescue Officer we see people in their potentially darkest moments and knowing that the training we have had can help make the difference to them at that moment in time,

There is nothing more rewarding than knowing you’ve helped and made the difference to their life.”

[David Sutton – with his Son, Alfie]

Coastguard Rescue Officer, Jay Richards joined the Coastguard Rescue Service just over 6 years ago after completing eight and a half years volunteering with the RNLI. Jay said:

“Within 2 weeks of leaving the RNLI I was still thriving a bigger challenge and to help people in need, this led me to becoming successful joining the Coastguard Rescue Service.

During my time in the Team I have completed a lot of emergency incidents all physically and mentally demanding, with some good outcomes but unfortunately some not so good.

All that aside at the end of every incident I know that we as individuals, Teams and a Service have made a difference to somebody’s life one way or another which is always rewarding. I feel proud to be part of such an amazing Team and Service.”

[Jay Richards]

One of the teams newest recruits is Tristan Rochfort, who said:

“‘I’ve recently joined Flint Coastguard Rescue Team to fulfil my ambition to help my local community, I’ve always had a drive to help others and the Coastguard Rescue Service offers an opportunity to have a huge effect on people’s lives, especially when they’re at their most vulnerable.

It is extremely rewarding to see and hear the results of our work, to know that you’ve saved a life or prevented further injury to someone in the community.

This is one role that I would like to continue within for a long time to.”

[Tristan Rochfort] 

Another recent recruit is Tom Parratt, who said:

“I decided to join the Coastguard as I had spare time and felt that I could bring this back to the community, to help people and to be there in a time of need.

We are provided with full training to be able to do the best that we possibly can to help those people.

Being a new recruit so far we have attended a number of calls from water rescues through to casualty care.

Not only are we a Team at Flint we work fantastically together, and we are a family that supports each other.”

[Tom Parratt]