Hartland Coastguards want some help

HARTLAND COASTGUARDS WANT SOME HELP

Auxiliary Coastguard Mr John Dunn, of Durrant Lane, Northam, takes an emergency call, watched by full time coastguard Mr Les Burril and Station Officer Alan McWhinnie.

Hartland Coastguard Station, which already covers well over 100 miles of coastline – from Port Isaac around to Stern Point, the other side of Watchet – is to
assume new responsibilities from January 1 next year.

On that day the coastguards will take over a new radio distress frequency on channel 16 VHF.  Such calls are now dealt with initially by Ilfracombe Post Office
Radio on MF, the only RT distress frequency at the moment.

Although the coastguards have always had a cliff rescue section in the station itself, they have been involved only with marine rescue.
Now their brief includes people in trouble on beaches and cliffs – and that means more auxiliary coastguards are wanted.

Hartland, a constant watch station on the alert 24 hours a day, relies on five full-time coastguards and a station officer, plus auxiliaries.