Coastguard officer breaks leg whilst giving safety advice
Further bad luck for officers of the coastguard, this time the weather was the assailant

 

Just after 4:00pm yesterday Humber Coastguard were notified by a member of the public that there were several people (which appeared to be a family) fishing at the end of the North Gare at Hartlepool whilst large seas were reportedly breaking over the top.

The Hartlepool Coastguard Rescue Team were immediately requested to attend and issue safety advice to the parents, requesting they vacate the pier immediately in view of the dangerous weather conditions.

Arriving on scene, Hartlepool Coastguard donned lifejackets and proceeded to the people in question. At this point communications between the on scene Coastguards and the control at Bridlington were lost until a call for assistance was heard on a dedicated Coastguard radio channel.

A large wall of water had come over the top of the pier and engulfed the two Coastguard Officers, knocking them against the wall and breaking the leg of one Officer. An Ambulance was requested to evacuate the volunteer officer, arriving on scene soon after. He was eventually evacuated by the Air Ambulance at the request of Ambulance personnel.

Humber Coastguard Watch Manager, Tony Tuton said:

Once again we cannot stress too strongly, the dangers that members of the public inadvertently put themselves in, not only themselves, but the people who are called on to assist them.

The Officer is at present in hospital receiving medical treatment and hopefully will make a full recovery.