06 September 2010
A search and Rescue team has taken delivery of a new ambulance to strengthen its rapid response to emergencies across Morecambe Bay and South Lakes.
The Bay Search and Rescue unit based at Flookburgh, near Morecambe Bay, new Land Rover ambulance has been donated by north west water provider United Utilities.
Dealing with emergency incidents, and specialising in quicksand rescue, where a fast response could mean the difference between life and death, means having the right equipment for the job.
The Bay Search and Rescue team provides a year-round rescue service in the South Lakes, and beyond when assisting other emergency services such as the Police, the Ambulance Service,.H.M Coastguard and specifically Cumbria Fire and Rescue.
The area covered by the team is vast, and includes the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of 310km. The team of volunteers respond to calls in areas in and around Grange-Over-Sands, Ulverston, Flookburgh, Allithwaite, Kendal, Milnthorpe, Arnside and SIlverdale. They were also involved with the flood rescue operations in Cockermouth in 2009 in their role as a support team for Cumbria Fire and Rescue.
For the volunteers of fourteen men and one woman, the new ambulance will help them respond to a wide variety of demands and dangers around the bay and across South Lakes. The 4x4 vehicle has been fully kitted out with everything they need - VHF radios, GPS, satnav, self contained search lights, inflatable rescue paths, quicksand rescue tools, drysuits, medical kits, tow ropes, swift water rescue equipment, a winch and stretcher.
Handing over the keys, Philip Green, chief executive for United Utilities , said, "The 24-hour service provided by the Bay Search and Rescue team is critically important for the whole community living around Morecambe Bay and South Lakes District. These are our customers too, and it is right United Utilities plays our part ensuring the team has the right capability to respond quickly to emergency calls.
Mike Davis, 36 director of a local business from Allithwaite, and a volunteer and training officer with Bay Search and Rescue said: Although we have our two Hagglund tracked rescue vehicles for our extreme operations, we also rely on our Landrover for getting our team and casualties quickly around the perimeter of the Bay and into local towns during floods and snow,. However our old V8 petrol 110 Ambulance is not exactly economical, and as our nearest filling station is a 40 minute round trip we are really looking forward to better economy, which makes our fundraising go further, and being able to fill up at a nearby diesel only filling station.
The Bay Search and Rescue team was formed back in 2001 after a near tragedy of a man trapped for ten hours overnight, came within minutes of drowning. In 2004 they provided assistance to H.M Coastguard during the Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy.
The new ambulance replaces a very well used 1986 V8 Land Rover which although it had only been operated for 2 years, had been obtained from Penrith Mountain Rescue who had already done nearly 100,000 miles in it over more than 10 previous years.