A Cumbrian coastguard team has reflected on a busy year of rescuing.

Throughout 2023, Whitehaven Coastguard Rescue Team were called out on 71 separate occasions, with a total of 86 casualties – people or pets – rescued, aided, or recovered.

The callouts are divided into several categories, which are:

  • 13 lost/missing person searches.
  • 12 medical casualty evacuations.
  • Nine rope rescues (three to people on cliffs, three to dogs on cliffs, and three other involving rope rescue).
  • Eight boat/vessel assistances.
  • Seven ‘concerns for safety’.
  • Seven TEPs/Ordnance.
  • Seven water rescues.
  • Three receipts of wreck/’royal fish’.
  • Three investigations.
  • Two distress calls.

The team shared a custom Google map showing pinned locations of the 2023 callouts.

A spokesperson from the team said: “As always, our thoughts are very much with the families and friends of those whose loved ones who are no longer with us.

“Also, our best wishes go to those casualties who are still on their road to recovery.

“The majority of these taskings were to Maritime incidents following receipt of a 999 call to the coastguard, alerting us to someone in need of assistance along the coastal paths and cliffs, beaches, marinas, ports, and at sea.

“These taskings were coordinated by HM Coastguard through our maritime rescue coordination centre Belfast Coastguard, and our team officers in charge on the ground.

“Some taskings were also to provide assist to partner emergency services for incidents being coordinated by Cumbria police, Northwest Ambulance Service, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, as well as the many fantastic professional charitable organisations which Cumbria’s emergency services can call upon, such as RNLI, mountain rescue teams, GNAAS, first responders, BEEP Doctors and the various independent land and water search organisations.

“We all routinely work together to achieve a common goal, regardless of the uniform we wear.

“On top of taskings, there has been post incident clean-down and equipment management, team weekly trainings, requalification and new training required for each discipline, public events, multiagency exercises and team recruitment.

“All of this wouldn't be achievable without the support of our loved ones and flexibility of employers, enabling us to undertake this.

“We often hear some members of the public are confused and unclear as to what HM Coastguard are responsible for and the tasks we undertake as a national emergency service to help our communities around the UK.

“Hopefully by sharing this short incident summary we can help to raise awareness for our local area and the part we play.”