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The history and role of the Coastguard is long and can be traced back to the 17th century, for more details use the links page and go to the MCA web site.
In Swanage the Life Saving Apparatus arrived in 1842 with a volunteer section starting in 1883. Our incident records currently go back to about 1924 and our volunteer records go back to 1883, if you think one of your relatives served in the team please get in touch with us and we will be happy to confirm their service details with you.
The Coastguard has changed in many ways since 1883, the volunteers in those days served along side several full time Coastguards based at each station. The volunteers were known as Life Saving Apparatus Men (LSA men) and used their skills to fire rockets out to the vessel to save the crew. As time went on the Coastguard Service had many masters from the Board of Trade to the Royal Navy and today we are part of the Department of Transport, each time the role of the Service changed a little.
In the1960s the service began to change into what we see today, the term LSA men changed to Auxiliary and there were several sections, Rescue, Watcher or Afloat, slowly over the following years this changed to General Purpose Auxiliary, finally changing in 2006 when all volunteers became known as Coastguard Rescue Officers.
Despite all the changes one thing has not changed and this is the dedication that all Coastguards have given to saving lives around the coast.
We have listed below an extract from our station logs each year we have records for, you may remember some of them and we would welcome your memories to add to the incident.
1842 - Life Saving Apparatus A Set established.
1875 – The rescue of the crew of the wrecked brigantine Wild Wave on Peveril Ledge by Mr Lose Coastguard Chief Officer Swanage. Mr Lose was awarded a RNLI silver medal for the coordinated rescue in January 1875 using both the 4 and 6 oared Coastguard gigs. Following his action an RNLI lifeboat station was established at the request of the local residents. The boathouse and slipway were built and, although much altered, are still in use today. The original boathouse cost £350 and the slipway £175.
1883 - Date of formation of a Volunteer Company.
1918 – 18th September 80 – 100 Gallon Cask of sherry found in Swanage Bay. This was salved and brought ashore to the Coastguard Station after guarding it all night. Its estimated value was £1 per gallon.
1961 - 9 Incidents - 2nd May 1961 03:57 received from Coastguard Needles, SS Midhurst reports having picked up a yacht broken down three quarters of a mile east of Peveril Point. Advised Launch of Swanage Lifeboat. 04:20 Lifeboat proceeded to SS Midhurst, whilst on passage it was reported Yarmouth Lifeboat was at scene of the casualty and had taken the yacht in tow from the SS Midhurst. Yarmouth Lifeboat had launched on service at 02:10 in answer to red flares reported one mile south of the West fairway buoy of the Needles channel. The yacht picked up by SS Midhurst had fired the red flares and the strong ebb tide carried her down off Swanage. 0505 Swanage Lifeboat returned and ready for service, yacht being towed to Yarmouth IOW by Yarmouth Lifeboat.
Note – communications between vessels were not like they are today, some radio transmissions had to go through Niton radio for action who then passed this to the Coastguard.
1962 - 12 Incidents - 23rd April 1962 12:53 Watchman in charge at Studland reported receiving information from Weymouth Fire Brigade that Swanage Fire Brigade had proceeded to assistance of two youths stranded on Ballard Down. 13:25 Coastguard Swanage informed by Swanage Police that Fire Brigade lines were not long enough and Coastguard cliff gear was requested. 13:25 CG In Charge SC Kay and CG Brown left station in Police transport with cliff gear. CG Brown was lowered 250ft to ledge where youths were stranded, both youths were landed to the top uninjured. 16:00 Arrived back on station rescue completed safely.
Note – Studland was a separate auxiliary station to Swanage back in 1962, this station closed and the whole area came under the control of Swanage.
1963 8 Incidents – 3 March 1963 15:25 received report from a member of the public at Anvil Point Lighthouse that his friend had been washed off a ledge below Anvil Point Lighthouse into the sea and disappeared 15:42 Swanage Lifeboat launched to search area for man. 17:25 Swanage Lifeboat returned and ready for service, search for man unsuccessful.
1964 16 Incidents - 11 August 1964 15:50 received report of a man fallen over cliff at Anvil Point 15:57 Coastguard In Charge SC Kay, CG Brown, Police Sergeant and one Constable left station with cliff rescue gear including the Neil Robertson Stretcher on Police transport. 16:05 arrived on scene of casualty, Police Sgt. & Dr Pusser lowered to injured man. Man brought up in Stretcher and taken to Poole General Hospital with multiple injuries. 18:10 returned to station.
1965 - 15 Incidents - 26th October Coastguard in Charge S C Kay and CG Brown and 2 Police Constables proceeded in Police transport with cliff rescue gear for injured man over cliff at Anvil Point, 12:55 Swanage Lifeboat informed Lifeboat assistance requested and launched. CG Brown and one Police Constable lowered over cliff to injured man, 13:35 injured man lowered into Lifeboat in Neil Robertson stretcher and taken to Swanage and transferred to Swanage hospital. 14:45 returned to station.
New Coastguard look out was started to be built on the old gun emplacement at Peveril Point during April 1965 and completed in March 1966.This replaced a corrugated iron structure.
1966 – 16 Incidents - 16th October 14:46 Swanage Lifeboat launched to assistance of small dinghy and rubber raft full of skin divers in difficulties in the race over Peveril Point. 15:55 Swanage Lifeboat returned and ready for service having picked up eight skin divers and one rubber raft, dinghy sunk off Durlston Head (no lives lost).
1967 – 20 Incidents - 26 March, received report from CG Wyke that Dorchester Police had received information (999 call) that a man was cut off by the sea at the foot of Old Harry Rocks. 17:13 Swanage Lifeboat launched to assistance of man cut off by sea. 21:30 Swanage Lifeboat returned and ready for service having picked up body of young man found drowned between Ballard head and Old Harry Rocks.
Note – CG Wyke was the main Coastguard station for the area and replaced in the years to come by Portland Coastguard.
1968 - 12 Incidents - 31 May 17:05 Member of the public reports seeing a yellow life jacket hoisted at masthead on a sailing dinghy in Durlston Bay. Swanage Lifeboat launched to sailing dinghy in difficulties in Durlston Bay. 18:30 Swanage Lifeboat returned and ready for service having picked up and towed sailing dinghy, with occupants to Swanage Bay.
1969 – 27 Incidents - 8 June 16:59 report received from CG Wyke via Niton radio that an unknown vessel at 15:38 had broadcast a distress Mayday and its position was 4 miles south of Old Harry Rocks – No further particulars – 15:44 yacht Ethel Helen position one mile south of Old Harry reported seeing nothing . On receipt of the message from Wyke the Hon.Sec of the Lifeboat was immediately informed and decided to launch the Lifeboat to search area. The Lifeboat searched the area assisted by a helicopter and the yacht Ethel Helen. Nothing found and at 19:07 the search was called off and Lifeboat returned.
18 June 17:40 Member of the public at Durlston Castle observed a capsized dinghy , shore boat launched to find casualty, Swanage Lifeboat launched and helicopter requested after search on body and two survivors brought back to Swanage.
Note – 1969 saw the first rescue helicopters attend incidents in Swanage.
1970 – 40 Incidents - 30 April Dutch ship Lumey ran around between Anvil Point and St Albans Head , Lifeboat stood by until 06:32.
1971 – 32 Incidents - Report of man fallen over cliff at Anvil Point, Cliff team and Swanage Lifeboat proceeded. Helicopter alerted, Station Officer descended found casualty 50ft below. Helicopter lifted man, Lifeboat picked up person from sea who fallen in while trying to assist rescue.
1972 - 38 Incidents - 27th December – Nun reported fallen below cliff at Peveril Point, search carried out by cliff team, later found that Nun had only fallen 5 feet and had climbed back up then returned to the convent. Search called off.
1973 - 41 Incidents - 24th June – Aircraft crashes in Swanage Bay, Swanage lifeboat launched one body recovered.
16th October – Training Ship Royalist dragged anchor and came ashore in Studland Bay, Swanage Lifeboat was launched and the District Officer ordered Swanage CRE to proceed, it was a wild night and only one member of the team heard the maroon, the others later assembled after being phoned. Lifeboat was able to go along side the vessel but no one wanted to leave her, CRE team stayed on the beach through the rest of the night, vessel was towed off later by a Royal Marine Landing craft with everyone still on board.
1974 - 63 Incidents - 3rd February – Lighthouse keeper at Anvil Point reported injured climber half way down cliff half mile west of the lighthouse. Two men were on cliff one badly injured, Lifeboat unable to take injured man off due to heavy swell, helicopter unable to assist, injured man brought up the cliff in Neil Robertson stretcher, other one assisted up by cliff men, injured man taken to hospital by ambulance.
26th August – Swanage Rover on Patrol in Studland area copied message on VHF radio of a person needing CPR at Studland, proceeded to area alerted Ambulance and Doctor, person had been picked out of sea, he was taken by Ambulance to hospital.
Note – the Mobile Response Unit, MRU or mobile was known as a Rover back in the 1974.
1975 - 62 Incidents - 24th May – Parachutist reported landed between Goathorn and Brownsea Island. Poole ILB, Poole and Swanage Mobiles and Police launch proceeded to search area with negative results.
28th October – A party of 10 Scouts walking from Worth Matravers to Durlston where on arrival they were to make camp for the night and report to the Scout Master in Poole that they had arrived safely. They did not phone in and a search was carried out by Swanage and St Albans CRE companies. Swanage Lifeboat searched to seaward. After a thorough search of the area with negative results the search was called off to be resumed at first light, with helicopter assistance. The boys were found in a camping area that had been searched the previous night. They had been in Tilly Whim caves when the camp area had been searched, they had then left the caves and pitched camp before the caves had been searched.
1976 - 49 Incidents - 3rd May – A School teacher and pupils reported cut off by the tide at foot of cliff in Durlston Bay. When Cliff team arrived at the scene it was found that the master and pupils had climbed to the cliff top. It was explained to the master that it had been extremely dangerous to climb this particular cliff due to the loose soil and rocks.
18th August - Man reported having fallen over cliff at Anvil Point. On arrival at scene the casualty was at the bottom of the cliff half in the water being attended by a lady who had witnessed the accident from a yacht and had swam approx. 100 yards to get casualty out of the water. Casualty was lifted off by helicopter and taken to Poole hospital where he died of his injuries on the following Monday.
1977 - 38 Incidents - 28th August – Dinghy capsized in tide race people in water. Shore Rescue Boat (SRB) was already at sea and saw the accident and proceeded to scene where two persons were picked up, SRB asked for assistance and lifeboat was launched and informed by SRB that there were two persons missing. Helicopter was requested and together with the Lifeboat and SRB carried out thorough search of area, the beach in Durlston Bay was searched by CRE men. The Trinity House vessel picked up a third survivor. After a through search the search was called off. The body of the fourth person was recovered on Thursday 8th September.
Note - The SRBs were privately owned and used before the arrival of the RNLI inshore lifeboats
1978 - 19 Incidents
1979 - 18 Incidents
1980 - 3 Incidents - incomplete records
1981 - 1985 - no records
1985 - Extension to the CRE (Coastguard Rescue Equipment building) finished.
1986 - 102 Incidents
1987 - 101 Incidents
1988 - 97 Incidents - 6 April Chief Coastguard Commendation granted to Coastguard Rescue Company for the recovery of a body.
1989 - 55 Incidents
1990 - 48 Incidents
1991 - 57 Incidents
1992 - 53 Incidents 25 April Chief Coastguard Commendation granted to Mr D P Gough for the rescue of a climber at Anvil Point.
1993 - 85 Incidents
1994 - 70 Incidents
1995 - 89 Incidents
1996 - 86 Incidents
1997 - 78 Incidents
1998 - 86 Incidents
1999 - 96 Incidents
2000 - 81 Incidents
2001 - 112 Incidents
2002 - 83 Incidents
2003 - 97 Incidents
2004 - 111 Incidents
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