A late call, the Gwithian dunes and a Coastguard stretcher

The dunes at Gwithian look harmless enough in daylight. After dark, with drink involved and soft, uneven sand shifting underfoot, they become a very different place. That is where the Portreath Coastguard Rescue Team found themselves late on a recent night, working alongside police and paramedics to reach someone who could not get out on their own.

The call-out

Shortly after 22:00, the team was tasked to assist Devon & Cornwall Police and South Western Ambulance Service with the extraction of a casualty from within the dunes at Gwithian.

The casualty was suffering from the effects of alcohol consumption amongst other things. After sizing up the situation, team members loaded them into the rescue stretcher and carried them carefully through the dunes to a waiting ambulance for onward transport to hospital.

By that point the casualty was feeling somewhat sorry for themselves, but they were getting the care they needed.

Home by 23:50

Once the handover to the ambulance crew was complete, the team headed back to station to clean and repack their equipment. They stood down at 23:50.

The team have wished the casualty a full and speedy recovery.

Why the coast catches people out

The coast can be a dangerous place at the best of times, and adding alcohol or drugs into the mix pushes the risk up sharply. Uneven ground, steep dunes, cliffs, changing tides and poor visibility can turn a night out into an emergency in minutes.

If you are heading to the coast, a few simple habits make all the difference. Stay with friends and look out for each other. Go easy on the alcohol, and never mix it with drugs or other substances. Keep well away from cliff edges and steep dune systems, especially after dark. Carry a charged mobile phone so you can call for help. And if someone becomes unwell, dial 999 and ask for the appropriate emergency service.

The Portreath team also thanked their partner agencies for their assistance and teamwork throughout the incident, one of a long list of call-outs that rarely make the headlines but keep coming, night after night.

📷Stock Photo - Credit: H. M. Coastguard Portreath Rescue Team