By Jake Lanning, of West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team

So Jake, how’s that rescue thing going that you do?’

‘Pretty good’, I replied, ‘but I’m in the Coastguard’. I was given a knowing nod.

‘The Coastguard of course… It must be pretty scary getting up in the middle of the night and going out to sea’. I smiled back. ‘Not quite’, I said, ‘That’s the RNLI’. A pause for thought followed. ‘Well, at least you get to hang out on the beach all summer keeping watch over the swimmers’. I felt myself tense slightly. ‘That’s the Lifeguards’, I reply with a smile, ‘I’m in the Coastguard’. I was met with a confused look.

This is a fairly typical conversation I’ve had with many people over the years. What was singular about this exchange, is that it was with my mother. I don’t blame either of my parents for not really knowing what the Coastguard does. Being from London, coastal awareness was never very high on the agenda.

It was then really encouraging when last week we visited the Jurassic (Bridport) Explorer Scout Unit, and had an enjoyable PR evening with a very bright and engaged group of teenagers. Their knowledge and understanding of what the Coastguard does was excellent, as was the awareness they had of their coastal surroundings and the potential dangers it poses.

We held discussions on behaviors, and how best to keep yourself safe by using good judgment and making sound decisions. We also looked at the extensive array of equipment we carry and talked about the types of incidents that we deal with. It was a very enjoyable and educational evening, and one we hope to repeat with other groups in the area.

If your school or youth organisation would like to have a visit from the Coastguard then please email us at: westbaycoastguard@icloud.com