Moray sea rescue teams called out repeatedly as beach attendances increase

INCREASING numbers of people visiting our beaches are keeping local rescue services busy.

The easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions combined with good weather and uncertainty around holidaying abroad has brought locals and tourists out to enjoy the sun, sand and sea but there have been difficulties so Moray Inshore Rescue Organisation (MIRO) are urging care along the coastline and in the water.

MIRO chairman, John Low, said: "MIRO's dedicated team of crew and shore support volunteers have already responded to 12 emergency situations this year, 11 of which have been since lockdown restrictions around water sports were relaxed on May 29.

"Our team continue to be on call 24/7, 365 days-a-year and will always respond to a call for help, however, I urge members of the public to take care and be aware of the tide."

Most recently, on July 29, MIRO attended the East Beach at Nairn, where a swimming teenager needed help to get back to the shore. MIRO Rescue was launched within 10 minutes of the call at 1.06pm. The casualty had managed to swim back to the shore and was being helped from the water as the crew arrived. HM Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter's onboard paramedic ensured that the casualty was medically fit before being transferred to the care of personnel from Nairn Coastguard who conveyed him off the beach. The crew of Rescue 151 requested that MIRO crew took part in a joint training exercise as they returned to Findhorn. This entailed one of the helicopter crew being winched down onto the MIRO rescue boat.

At 5.20pm on July 30, MIRO were paged by HM Coastguard and requested to attend Hopeman, where a person had fallen and sustained an ankle injury in the Clashach Quarry area. Due to the incoming tide, MIRO made best speed and arrived on-scene at 5.44pm. There was no accessible point to safely transfer the casualty onto the rescue boat and it was not possible to take the casualty back up the cliff path, therefore, after assessment and medical treatment, a helicopter evacuation was requested. The casualty was winched aboard HM Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 151, taken to Hopeman, and transferred to an ambulance.

MIRO operations manager, Peter Mackenzie, said: "Even experienced swimmers, surfers, paddle boarders and sailors can get caught out by the currents and tides. Whilst we want everyone to enjoy our coastal waters and beaches, I would urge everyone to be safe and be aware of the currents and tides as their strength and speed can often take people by surprise. It’s a good idea to have a means of calling for help if you or someone else gets into difficulty. If you see a person or an animal in trouble on the water, please call 999 straight away and ask for the coastguard. If the person or animal manages to make their own way to safety before rescue services arrive, please call the coastguard to let them know that assistance is no longer required."

Meanwhile, HM Coastguard Moray was called out again to Nairn on the evening of Sunday, August 2. Rescue Teams from Nairn, Burghead and Inverness responded to a 999 call reporting two persons in difficulty on an inflatable doughnut, at the Secret Beach, West of the town.

Officers from Nairn arrived on the scene within minutes and guided the coastguard rescue helicopter to the teenagers. They were flown to shore and were both very cold, having been out and in the water for some time. Casualty care was provided before they were passed over to the Scottish Ambulance Service.

A coastguard spokesperson said: "Inflatables are toys for the pool, not the sea or any open water. Had the people on shore not noticed when they had, this incident, which started innocently could have had a very different and more serious outcome."