Bay Search and Rescue Team

A team of unpaid volunteers who combine specialist training and local knowledge to provide support for H.M. Coastguard, Mountain Rescue Teams and other Emergency Services on and around Morecambe Bay. Operational Team members take part in regular training and assessment and are prepared to respond to emergency calls subject to work and family commitments. Most team members live on the Cartmel Peninsula but some work outside the local area. Currently the Team is drawn from Kendal, Heversham, Levens, Milnthorpe, Cartmel, Grange over Sands, Kents Bank, Allithwaite and Flookburgh. Our aim is to have enough trained personnel for the team to be available 24/7 throughout the year.

Training takes place every Thursday evening and one full day each month alongside other events there is always something going on! The training syllabus includes vehicle driving and maintenance, radio usage, command and control procedure, casualty care, water rescue, powerboat handling, marine and land search and rescue techniques, quicksand rescue, working with other teams and working with helicopters. All members are required to update their training and competences regularly.

Operational Team

Gary Parsons

Station Officer/Chairman/SWRT/Trustee
Senior (paediatric) Operating Department Practitioner. (Royal Liverpool Childrens Hospital), (Team Leader  Anaesthetics) UK Resuscitation Council Approved, (Advanced Life Support Provider), Adult And Paediatric basic life support instructor, Nvq3 Certificate of Higher Education Operating Department Practise, RYA offshore powerboat Level 2, RYA Yacht Masters Navigation (shore Based) Hagglund driver, VHF Certificate, Water Rescue Awareness, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Emergency Response (Bluelight) driver, Powered Boat for Rescue Response, Water Incident (Flood) Manager

Gary is one of the founder members of the team and the team Medic. He works at The Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital (Alderhey). He teaches emergency anaesthesia and resuscitation, and participates in the hospital crash team. He served with HM Coastguard Arnside for 6 years prior to founding the 'Bay Search & Rescue Team'. He has been decorated twice with awards for conduct above & beyond the call of duty by the Liverpool Shipwreck & Humane Society, and by the Chief Coast Guard, as part of the team who rescued a man stuck in Quicksand, whilst the tide came in round their waists, and his neck in 1996.

Paul Calland

Deputy Station Officer/Trustee
Hagglund driver, Team Website Manager, Public Relations, RYA Powerboat level 2, First Aider, VHF Certificate, Water Rescue Awareness, Swiftwater Rescue Responder, Emergency Response (Bluelight) driver, Water Incident (Flood) Manager

Paul is the Managing Director of a local design and print company and with a long background in business and computers handles the teams print, website and IT requirements as well as being team treasurer for a few years. He has worked in the MOD in mllitary vehicle design and is an experienced off road driver. A Queen Scout Award holder he spent many years as a Scout leader including time in the USA teaching American Scouts survival training, canoeing, caving and white water rafting. Also a very longstanding member of the TVR Car Club which he has been involved with for over 15 years. 

Mike Davis

Training Officer
Hagglund driver, RYA Powerboat level 2, VHF Certificate, First Aider, Off Road Driving Certificate, Water Rescue Awareness, Swiftwater Rescue Responder.

Mike is the Marketing Director of a local company and lives in Allithwaite. As well as being a very active team member he has also been very involved in the Scouts at District and County level so often away camping and canoeing. Apart from Gary he is the longest serving member of the team and has served on the board of Trustees for the charity, so his experience is essential to the team. Mike received the Scout Association Award for Bravery for his part in our operations in Cockermouth in 2009.

Ben Jinks

Operational Team Member/ SWRT/Trustee
Hagglund driver, RYA Powerboat level 2, VHF Certificate, First Aider, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Water Rescue Awareness, Swiftwater Rescue Responder Instructor, Emergency Response (Bluelight) driver.

Ben works for a plant company driving all sorts of plant equipment and machinery. Although one of the younger members of our team and the youngest trustee, he is very enthusiastic and heads up our swiftwater rescue roles and team training. With his plant equipment experience he is taking a hands on role with the operation and maintenance of our fleet of rescue vehicles and specifically the Hagglund bv206 ATERV's.

James Burrows

Operational Team Member/SWRT
Hagglund driver, RYA Powerboat level 2, VHF Certificate, First Aider, Water Rescue Awareness. Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Sea Survival, Swiftwater Rescue Responder Instructor.

James works in his family carpet business and is the teams strongest swimmer (he can do a length of the local training pool, underwater, and WITH a buoyancy aid on!)

Mark Jameson

Operational Team Member
Powerboat Level 2, First Aider, VHF Certificate, Off road driving certificate, off road trailer certificate, work at height trained. Water Rescue Awareness, Water Incident (Flood) Manager, Amateur radio and comms specialist.

Mark works at Lancaster University in communications and IT, keen watersports and motorsports enthusiast (has made his own catamaran and runs a caterham sports car),

Faris 'Faz' Ali

Operational Team Member/SWRT/Comms Officer
Numerous work at height qualifications & training courses; Advanced Industrial Climber, High Structure Rescue & Evac, IPAF Licence, Full Radio Licence, VHF Certificate, First Aider, Offroad driving certificate, electrical safety. Water Rescue Awareness, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, RYA Powerboat Level 2, Water Incident (Flood) Manager.

Faz works at Lancaster University in as a Network Specialist. Vast Radio and electronics experience.

Martyn Fogg

Operational Team Member/SWRT
Water Rescue Awareness, Swiftwater Rescue Technician. Our youngest team member.

Martyn is still a student, but this has not stopped him working his way up to Swiftwater Rescue Technician accreditation now he has been with the team for a while.

Colin Hodgson

Equipment Officer/SWRT
VHF Certificate, RYA off-shore safety, RYA First Aid, RYA Safety Boat Operator, RYA/MCA Yachtmaster (shore based), RYA/MCA Small Craft Basic Sea Survival, Water Rescue Awareness, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Water Incident (Flood) Manager, Powered Boat for Rescue Response

Colin has many years experience working in team and management training all around the world so brings loads of experience to the team

Dave Abel

Operational Team Member/SWRT
Water Rescue Awareness, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, First Aider, VHF Certificate, RYA Powerboat Level 2, Powered Boat for Rescue Response

Dave is an experienced boat handler and a Qualified Diver. With experience in outdoor education, sea kayak instructor, life saving, lifeguarding and coasteering/surfing instructor. Dave currently runs his own landscaping and gardening business.

Paul Astle

Operational Team Member
VHF Certificate, RYA Powerboat Level 2. High structure rescue and advanced industrial climbing, Ladder inspection and PPE inspection, IPAF powered access, Water Rescue Awareness, First aid at work HSE certificate, Off road driving.

Bringing lots of IT experience to the team, up until recently Paul was a Special Police Officer in Lancashire, Bay SAR now takes up more of his time!

Jamie Warren

Operational Team Member/SWRT
Full time Height Safety and Rescue Trainer, qualified first aid trainer and rescue trainer, VHF Certificate, Health and Safety certified through NEBOSH. Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Water Incident (Flood) Manager.

Jamie brings a huge amount of very practical and very advanced rope and height access experience to the team.He is also experienced in surfing, white water rafting and kayaking.

Helen Clark

Operational Team Member/SWRT
IOEH Health and Safety, First Aid At Work Certificate, VHF Certificate, Water Rescue Awareness, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Water Incident (Flood) Manager

A Hotel Manager during the day (and night), and a leader in the Scout movement for many years, involved with outdoor survival, training and camping. A lover of extreme sport Helen has recently taken up kite surfing, off road driving and wind surfing, she is also a keen swimmer and a regular in the Great North Swim.

Norman Pritchard

Operational Team Member/Fleet Manager
VHF Certificate, RYA Powerboat Level 2, Water Rescue Awareness, HGV Class 1 driver.

As an HGV Class 1 driver Norm is responsible for deploying our hagglunds and airboat inland when required in our Mercedes Truck. Now a full time HGV driver working nights, he is ex-army, where he worked on Helicopters, not that we have one of those (yet!)

Neil Anderson
Operational Team Member
VHF Certificate, First Aider, Water Rescue Awareness.

Neil has worked in pub management, and in his spare time is doing up a motorbike as a project.

John Gorman

Operational Team Member - Probationary 
John works for the local Hospitals trust as a Manager in Service Development and GP Liaison, and as part of his responsibilities he secures charitable funding for the development of services within the trust, so his experience will be put to good use on our fundraising. John is also a keen fell runner.

Kev Pennells

Operational Team Member - Probationary/SWRT
ASET Rescue technician, RYA Powerboat level 2, HSE First Aid and Defib instructor, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Water Rescue Awareness, Level 1 IRATA, Emergency Response (Bluelight) driver.

A training centre Co-ordinator by day Kev is responsible for training Police, Fire Crews and work at height professionals in rescue and first aid, he is also a previous Mountain Rescue Team member, so he brings valuable experience to our team. His hobbies include Sea kayaking, Motor bikes, Hill walking, Climbing, 4x4 driving and fitness training.

Ivan Scrase

Team Medical Officer - Probationary/SWRT
HART Team Member, State Registered Paramedic, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, Water Rescue Awareness, Emergency Response (Bluelight) driver.

Full time Paramedic and HART Team member.

Angela Procter

Operational Team Member - HGV Driver 
A truck driver by profession, Angela is responsible for deploying our hagglunds and airboat inland using our truck. 

Andy Grainger

Operational Team Member - HGV Driver 
VHF Certificate, RYA Powerboat Level 2. HGV Class 1 driver. Another of our professional truck drivers, Andy is responsible for deploying our hagglunds and airboat inland using our truck. He is a qualified diver, a very keen runner and keep fit enthusiast who does a lot for charity, and will be running for Bay SAR on occasion.

Support Team

 

Paul Handslip

Team Mechanic, Paul is responsible for overseeing the servicing and maintenance of our Airboat, Hagglunds and Landrovers.

Heather McKellar

Treasurer/Accounts, a financial controller for Cypher Digital by day and with previous charity accounts experience, Heather handles all the accounts and money for the team.

Bev Marrow

Secretary, Reponsible for taking minutes at all our operational and trustee meetings amongst other things, as well as helping with vital fundraising being in charge of our collection tins out and about in the local community. Bev also works at Gedye & Sons in Grange-over-Sands

Richard Roberts

Trustee, Richard is a Director at Gedye & Sons (Solicitors) in Grange-over-Sands and as well as his obvious exemplary legal expertise, has extensive experience in charity work.

Ewen Cameron

Trustee, Ewen is a retired Army officer who has lived locally for over 7 years and has extensive experience as a trustee with various charities.  His service career also included high level financial management and business planning.

Martin Barratt

Trustee, Martin a local Businessman, has recently joined the team as a Trustee

Sue Calland

Support team, Sue helps on events as well as handling a vast amount of the paperwork and specifically the registrations on the day for our annual Cross Bay walk, which involves checking in up to 600 people in an hour or so!

Julian "Rusty" Marrow

Support team, Rusty, works hard in the background with Bev looking after our collection tins and helping at events.

Other Support/Fundraising Team members:

Many and varied but our thanks go to: 
Alan and Jill Parsons, Mandy Parsons, Steph Park, Emma, other long suffering spouses, girlfriends, family and friends and especially Louie Parsons... 
for his efforts at the Cumbria Steam Gathering 2009!

Please also see some of our benefactors and sponsors on our links page.