Beach patrol teams praised for saving 26 lives across Tendring (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Beach patrol teams praised for saving 26 lives across Tendring

2:03pm Tuesday 18th September 2012 in News By James Dwan

TENDRING’S beach patrol team has been praised for helping to save 26 lives during a busy summer.

The district council’s beach patrol and seafront wardens dealt with 641 incidents between April and the end of August.

The teams, which work from bases in Clacton, Frinton, Walton, Dovercourt and Brightlingsea, have been praised by council leader Neil Stock.

“There were times when the beaches were packed and they have challenging incidents and customers to deal with but they remain professional and focused in what they do,” he said.

“I have been down to the beach a number of times with my family and it is a credit to them that the season has gone well.”

The team’s rescue boats were called out 70 times and staff carried out 16 swim rescues, saving 26 people.

More than 70 children were reunited with parents and they gave minor first aid more than 300 times.

The team dealt with two attempted suicides, recovered two birds from the sea, reunited two pets with their owners and took three people to hospital by car.

They called out the bomb disposal squad once, the RNLI on nine occasions, coastguards mobile units 11 times, ambulance crews 27 times and the police 39 times.