Area Of Operation

The Bay Search and Rescue Team is based at a purpose built station at Flookburgh, at the bottom of Moor Lane (opposite West Plain Farm) where we have a central access point to any part of the Morecambe Bay and South Lake District. The two hagglunds, the airboat, the 130 Landrover and Mercedes Crewcab truck are all based here. The Mercedes tilt-bed transporter truck allows us to deploy our Hagglund ATERVs inland throughout the Lake District and North Lancs in our role as an All Terrain Rescue Unit for Cumbria Fire and Rescue. We also have a 110 Landrover ambulance based at Milnthorpe on the east side of the Bay for initial fast response to this side of the Bay and command and control.

Information about Morecambe Bay

Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of 310km². Towns on and near to the bay include Barrow-in-Furness, Ulverston, Grange-Over-Sands, Kendal, Arnside, Morecambe, Fleetwood and Heysham. There have been royally appointed local guides for crossing the bay for centuries. The current Queens guide is Cedric Robinson.

For long periods the Bay is without water. A barren wilderness of sand and mud, it can be stunningly beautiful on a clear day, and offers a tempting looking walk to those who know no better.

However during bad weather winds can rip across the 120 square miles of Morecambe Bay. The tidal bore roars in faster than a galloping horse, preceded by surging water that fills gullies and channels left by the 
last ebbing tide.

Anyone caught out on the sands can be cut off in seconds, quicksands can suck the unwary into an unbreakable grip. Men, women, children, horses, carts, cars and tractors have all disappeared over the years

Rescue operations are as dangerous as the ever shifting sands themselves. For hundreds of years local heroes have struggled to free those trapped by the sands.All too often their efforts have been in vain.

Most treat the Sands with the respect they deserve, but there are always going to be a few who find themselves in difficulties.

When this happens Bay Search & Rescue aims to reach the main danger areas in the Bay area quickly using an all terrain, amphibious Hagglund tracked vehicle. This can go where rescue boats can’t, transporting personnel with the skills and specialist equipment to help in any emergencies.

See our links page for useful information about the bay, the weather and the tides.