History

Why was the team formed?

Bay Search & Rescue (formerly Bay Hovercraft Rescue) was formed after It took a near tragedy to focus the minds of two experienced coastguards.
Gary Parsons and Adrian Swenson had been involved in a horrific incident where a man, trapped for ten hours overnight, came within minutes of drowning as his entire body was held upright by the sands’ deadly grip and the incoming tide was creeping closer to his mouth. Water lances were used by the 32 members of assembled emergency services to loosen the hold and, with only minutes left they got him out. Teams of coastguards, paramedics and firemen had to carry everything by hand, including high pressure water pumps on a two-and-half hour walk over the sands to get to the casualty. A heavy wind was blowing and the tide was roaring in.

By the time the rescuers reached the trapped man, they were worn out. He was badly hypothermic and his body had more or less shut down. Everyone thought they were going to see a man drown before their eyes, powerless to do any more for him. Like all rescues on the Bay, time was of the essence. Nothing can slow, stop or control the the tide sands are a law unto themselves - whole tractors just disappear.

Gary, who works at Alder Hey Hospital, was haunted by the experience and thought there had to be better way that was faster and less risk for those involved. A hovercraft race at Carnforth prompted him to buy an old ex-racer which could do 60mph over the sands and the idea became a reality. No one else was using hovercraft for rescue and recovery, there was a lot of research to be done, and major obstacles to overcome.

Ada Hillard had lived on the Bay’s edge for many years and decades earlier a member of her family had a scare with the treacherous sands and fast-moving water. She become a major benefactor in the hovercraft which was named after her. A journey taking 3 hours previously on foot now took 12 minutes - this was revolutionary.

Further developments

Since then more developments have been made as the team became more experienced. The hovercraft although better than boats for operating on the Bay could still not carry enough equipment or personnel and had limited capacity for injured casualties. Once more a unique technological solution was required. This was found in the Hagglund, an ex-military all terrain, amphibious tracked personnel carrier originally designed for use in snow. It can carry huge payloads, has seating for over a 18 and more importantly can travel quickly over sand, mud and quicksand! Bay Hovercraft Rescue became Bay Search and Rescue.

The Team

The twelve strong operational team is on call weekends and evenings and is working towards 24 hours a day, 7 days per week cover to respond to 999 calls. Although independent, the team works with all the emergency services and is confident a crew could be scrambled for any call out, irrespective of time. The Bay Search and Resce Team skills, assets and facilities complements the services of the Coastguards’ RIBs (rigid inflatable boats) based at Arnside and Duddon, which are used for water based rescues.

Call Outs

Since its inception, the team has been involved in an average of 8 operational call outs per year, including providing assistance to H.M. Coastguard during, and subsequent to, the Morecambe Bay ‘cockling tragedy’ in 2004. As well as search and rescue/casualty evacuations on the Bay, the team also assists local Mountain Rescue Teams in low level land and shoreline searches.

Our Base

We were originally based in an old wartime fire station at the Abbot Hall Hotel, Kents Bank. We are now based in a Rescue Station purpose built by the team members at Moor Lane, Flookburgh on land kindly provided by Lord Cavendish of Holker Hall. - back to top