New to the site Latest Coastguard News Click Here Centenary 1908 - 2008 Also on your phone wap site at coastguard.mywap.o2.co.uk
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Another centenary for the town this year as well as the coastguard teams is to be commemorated and that is the wreck of the Amazon.
This taken from Swanseadocks.co.uk On the morning of September 1st 1908 the four-masted barque Amazon, bound for Iquique in Chile with 2,000 tons of Welsh coal, was towed from Port Talbot Docks to Mumbles Head where the order was given to drop anchor due to a rising south-westerly wind. The intensity of the gale increased overnight and, by the following morning, it was so severe that the ship’s anchors started to drag and she was soon being buffeted helplessly across the bay.
Finally driven ashore onto the Margam Sands by the raging storm, the Amazon was quickly broken up by the pounding waves and, despite the heroic efforts of the Port Talbot L.S.A. rescue team, only eight men out of a crew of 28 made it ashore alive. The ship’s master, Captain Arthur Garrick of Penarth, was one of the twenty men who lost their lives in this tragic incident. Fourteen of the bodies were never recovered. for more see Vessel Histroy 27th July 2008 Missing Children Tasked to a second incident this time two missing children who had been missing for over an hour.Located very quickly by lifeguards who along with coastguard crew also dealt with other numerous minor incidents though out the day.
27th July 2008 Missing Child Tasked to a missing child on aberavon beach last seen walking towards the water.Coastguard team along with Lifeguards and the inshore lifeboat carried out a search and the child was located at the west end of aberavon beach having lost his way after coming out of the water.
20th July 2008 Vessel Distress
A seven hour rescue operation took place on the river Neath involving 2 inshore lifeboats from Port Talbot and Mumbles,the all weather lifeboat from mumbles Aberavon lifeguard boat and Port Talbot Coastguard.After the yacht "Wishbone" ran aground on the sandbank while trying to see if there was enough water to enter the river.The vessel then lost steerage and became holed.The mumbles all weather lifeboat was requested to standby incase a pump was needed but the Wishbones pumps managed to cope.With a few hours to go before there was enough water in the river to tow the vessel in to the monkstone mariner,she was taken to deeper water with all units standing by.The vessel was later taken safely in to the slipway at the club.
17th July 2008 Mr Arthur Aubrey Turns 80 years old On 17th July Retired Coastguard Rescue Officer Arthur Aubrey turned a young 80 years old. Arthur who served over 20 years at Port Talbot still calls in to the station and is always on hand for valuable advice from his years of experience.The crew made a surprise visit to Arthurs home to present him with a few gifts, we wish him a very happy birthday and look forward to seeing him again the next time the kettle is on.
Lifesavers mark special birthday
Jul 17 2008 by Rachel Moses, Neath Guardian
COASTGUARDS in Port Talbot are celebrating their centenary year and have a message for parents this summer – be responsible, keep your children safe.
Martin Williams, who is a member of the team of eight, said: The message really is just be responsible and make sure that your children know where you are.
The beach has got an Alphabet on the walls to make it easier for children to remember where their parents are.
We also have bands that the children can wear that have sections to write contact details on, so we know where the children are from.
The lifesavers have seen a rise in calls since the start of the millennium.
Graham Locke has been a coastguard for more then 30 years and is the longest serving member of the team.
He said: In 2000 there were only about seven calls, but last year there were 58.
Luckily for Graham, these calls have not prevented him from living his day-to-day life without interruption.
I’ve not had a call just as I’m sitting down to eat my Christmas dinner yet, he said.
However, the committed team was called out on Christmas Day to attend a reported sighting of a whale on Aberavon beach – which turned out to be a log.
And there have been other false alarms.
Mr Locke said: We had a call because there was a report of an unconscious person on the beach, but it was just someone who was sleeping there because he didn’t have enough money to get home. He was very apologetic.
Mr Williams says the rise in calls is due to the increase in visitors to the sands.
We are getting into a season where a lot more people are going into the water because of the different water sports, he said.
We’re getting a lot more people down here from the Bristol area, and much more visitors, so obviously we are going to get more accidents.
The coastguards’ remit covers missing children, injured animals, suicide attempts, people trapped on rocks and people stuck in mud.
Most of their operations are land-based or in shallow water, and the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institute) is the team which rescues by boat.
The coastguards train with various exercises, including a mud training programme.
Operations are planned with military precision as coastguards consider the best routes to carry a potentially injured person from the mud and over the slippery rocks up the bank.
The purpose of this exercise is to find out which part of the mud is the easiest to run on.
Another exercise involves extracting a trapped person from the mud.
Demonstrating how easy it is to get stuck, coastguard Ron twisted himself down into the ground until he was knee deep in mud.
To release him, colleague Steve sprayed water from a fire extinguisher at his legs, which softened the mud and made it easier to pull him out.
Martin Williams added: We have a lot of children who come down here in the summer and we need to highlight how dangerous the mud is and how easily they could sink in it.
The coastguards will celebrate their centenary with a small party at the station.
Mr Williams said: Because we are the local coastguard we won’t be funded by the main coastguard, so we have to pay for it ourselves.
We are going to have a small party in the station itself, and I am hoping that we can get a plaque to commemorate the centenary.
The team of eight coastguards is also hoping to increase their membership to 11 and is particularly keen to recruit more women.
If you want to join them and are aged 16-65, contact the station on 01639 886306 or call coastal rescue worker Martin Williams on 07863125614. Alternatively you can visit their website on www.ptcg.co.uk
July 16th Dog Rescue
Port Talbot Coastguard Search and Rescue crew where called out by MRCC Swansea after a report from a member of the public that a dog was acting suspiciously on aberavon beach since 06:30 on the 16th July.
The team arrived to see the dog (a young Alsatian bitch) sitting looking out to sea on the waters edge,when approached the dog became distressed and moved off climbing on to the north pier. Where it climbed on to the rocks at the end of the pier,the dog then slipped down the tetrapods rocks and became stuck in a dangerous position over a deep hole.
It was feared the dog would fall so coastguards dorned rescue harnesses and while calming the dog down managed to get a rescue harness around the animal where it was recovered to safety.While this was on going other crew members where conducting a search of the seafront in case someone had gone in to the sea.
With no reports of anyone missing the team returned to the station on aberavon seafront with the dog, where it was given water.unfortunately despite MRCC Swansea's best efforts to contact an organistion to take the dog in to its care it proved to be fruitless as most local authority workers where involved in industrial action so it was with regret the dog had to be released.
June 24th 2008 Missing Male
Tasked by MRCC Swansea to back up Porthcawl coastguard,lifeboat police and llantwit major coastguards.For a missing 64 year old male missing since 14:30 wearing a turquoise colour top and jeans nothing found stood down at midnight.
June 22nd 2008 Details
Details taken on a dead porpoise.
June 7th 2008 Mayday
Tasked at 16:09 local time by MRCC Swansea following the spoken word mayday on channel 16,the vessel a 460 Dory with two pob Mr. Mike Balwett and Mr. Nigel Herbert while on a fishing trip out of Knabb Rock Mumbles their boat overturned off Aberavon throwing them both in to the water.
Other vessels in the area responded as did the Port Talbot Lifeboat who picked up the crew and landed them on the beach where they were taken to the Aberavon Lifeguard building to await an ambulance.
Port Talbot Coastguard crew then assisted the lifeboat in recovering the vessel which was a danger to shipping in the area, to the harbor where she was righted and baled out before being taken to mooring in the river afan.
June 7th 2008 Medi Vac
Called to assist ambulance service to a 70 year old female dispondant on aberavon beach.
June 6th 2008 Medi Vac
Called to assist ambulance service with a male who while walking near the sand dunes had fallen after the bank collapsed.Taken to Morriston Hospital with head injuries.
June 5th 2008 Vessel Aground
Tasked following a report from the beach manager that a vessel was ashore on the small side of aberavon beach ,the vessel Sido while on its way back in to the river afan picked up a rope or net around its prop.The crew put the vessel ashore to clear the problem but with the increasing wind and tide was pushed on the rocks of the reef at the entrance of the river.Port Talbot coastguards requested the Lifeboat to launch to stand by but with the vessel being driven on to the rocks and taking water over her stern a tow line was put on to the vessel.It did look at one stage as if she was not going to come off and the Mumbles all weather lifeboat was requested, however she was not needed as the Sido lifted on a swell and was towed off and up river on to her moorings.It was lucky she was not a fiberglass vessel as the pounding on the rocks would have caused greater damage.All of the crew were fine apart from one member who suffered a grazed arm.
June 2nd 2008 Back up
Tasked to back up Porthcawl Coastguard but stood down not needed
May 31st 2008 Vessel ashore
Tasked to a craft ashore on aberavon beach all being fine with the crew and the vessel returned to station May 27th 2008 Despondent
Tasked to a female on Briton Ferry Bridge reported as threatening to jump off.
Information was received that she was not to be seen on the bridge, while on route stood down as police reported they were now with the female.
May 18th 2008 MediVac
Ambulance control requested Coastguard assistance to a female who had suffered fits on aberavon beach. Stood down as her parents had taken her to hospital by car.
May 14th 2008 Missing Child
At 22:14 Local time Coastguard assistance requested by Police in a search for what was believed to be a missing 3 to 4 year old seen by a teenager wandering on aberavon seafront.A search was carried out by both police and coastguards with Mumbles coastguard also requested to assist. Investigations showed a child fitting the description seen on cctv heading towards Dalton road.
Following an intensive search by coastguards and police including door to door enquiries by police the child was traced to her home and was discovered to be safe and well though she was aged 9 years old was of a very small build.
We wish to publicly thank the teen who reported the girl and then stayed on to be interviewed by police and coastguards thankfully it had a happy conclusion.
It was also another good example of how different services can work so well incidents of this type, as one of the major worries was the light had gone and bad weather forcast.
May 13th 2008 Teenager in trouble at sea Lifeboat launched to a teenager in distress about 30 - 40 yards off aberavon beach who was body boarding but was struggling to get back ashore.Lifeboat recovered her cold and in shock but safe, ashore to coastguard crew who took her to the station where she was kept warm until ambulance arrived.
May 10th 2008 second shout of the day to collapsed male
Coastguard assistance requested by ambulance crew to a collapsed teen on aberavon sea front who been drinking heavily. May 10th 2008 Vessel engine failure
Tasked to take details of a vessel being towed in by the lifeboat who had broken down off aberavon beach. May 9th 2008 Surf board off shore
Coastguard Rescue Officer Dean Jones reported a surf board floating off shore with no one visible nearby. Lifeboat put to sea to recover the board but investigations showed it was a old board that may have been in the water for sometime.
May 6th 2008 Dead Porpoise
While training on morfa beach CRO Jamie Boyle located a dead porpoise.Measurements taken for the relevant organizations
May 5th 2008 3 Incidents
First tasking of the day to a vessel that ran ashore on aberavon beach with 4 persons on board. Coastguard team dispatched to investigate and give safety advice.
Shortly after this both coastguard and lifeboat called to a female who had gone out of her depth and was struggling to stay afloat ambulance also requested.
The female was only a short distance off shore and was quickly recovered by lifeboat crew to coastguards on the shore who took her to the station for first aid by Para medics who had arrived on scene.
While this was happening coastguards also dealt with a collapsed female near the slipway first aid given and second ambulance requested (see photos) with both casualties on their way to hospital attention turned to the vessel that had ran ashore which was now starting to float, the crew was having problems in getting though the surf so two coastguards assisted wearing dry suites to hold the vessel until they could get on board and drive off in safety.
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Should you need to contact the MCA at any time
the MCA's Infoline is available 24 hours a day on: Tel: 0870 6006505 or write to:
MCA Infoline, Tutt Head, Mumbles, Swansea, West Glamorgan SA3 4HW. Click Image for more
Or to write to us Maritime & Coastguard Agency, PO Box 55, Port Talbot SA12 6WQ.
To e-mail see contact links above
THE AMAZON
A seven hour rescue operation took place on the river Neath involving 2 inshore lifeboats from Port Talbot and Mumbles,the all weather lifeboat from mumbles Aberavon lifeguard boat and Port Talbot Coastguard.After the yacht "Wishbone" ran aground on the sandbank while trying to see if there was enough water to enter the river.The vessel then lost steerage and became holed.The mumbles all weather lifeboat was requested to standby incase a pump was needed but the Wishbones pumps managed to cope.With a few hours to go before there was enough water in the river to tow the vessel in to the monkstone mariner,she was taken to deeper water with all units standing by.The vessel was later taken safely in to the slipway at the club.
Lifeboat launched to a teenager in distress about 30 - 40 yards off aberavon beach who was body boarding but was struggling to get back ashore.Lifeboat recovered her cold and in shock but safe, ashore to coastguard crew who took her to the station where she was kept warm until ambulance arrived.
First tasking of the day to a vessel that ran ashore on aberavon beach with 4 persons on board. Coastguard team dispatched to investigate and give safety advice.
Shortly after this both coastguard and lifeboat called to a female who had gone out of her depth and was struggling to stay afloat ambulance also requested.
The female was only a short distance off shore and was quickly recovered by lifeboat crew to coastguards on the shore who took her to the station for first aid by Para medics who had arrived on scene.
While this was happening coastguards also dealt with a collapsed female near the slipway first aid given and second ambulance requested (see photos) with both casualties on their way to hospital attention turned to the vessel that had ran ashore which was now starting to float, the crew was having problems in getting though the surf so two coastguards assisted wearing dry suites to hold the vessel until they could get on board and drive off in safety.
