Rhyl Coastguard Rescue Team

Rhyl Coastguard Rescue Team

It's time for the next edition of the Meet your Coastguards series and this month, we're in North Wales.
Jordan from Rhyl Coastguard Rescue Team

We are shining a spotlight on the Rhyl Coastguard Rescue Team in March.

We started this series to help you learn all about your local volunteer teams, as it is vital you know who to contact if you have any questions about staying safe at the coast.

You have been introduced to: Padstow and Greenock so far, and we have many more teams to come.

So keep an eye out for your local area, get to know your local team and how to get in touch. And who knows, maybe you will be their newest recruit.

 

Where: A small, Welsh seaside town called Rhyl. Occasionally nicknamed: Sunny Rhyl.

Where do you cover: Rhyl and surrounding areas of Prestatyn, Talacre, Kinmel Bay, Towyn, Abergele and Llanddulas.

Why: To keep you safe at the coast. Read our safety tips.

Who: A diverse team of 10 volunteers (male and female), ranging from 24 to 70 years old.

 

This month, we've spoken to team member Jordan (pictured below), as he celebrates his tenth year with the Coastguard.

 

Jordan from the Rhyl Coastguard Rescue Team

 
Why did you join HM Coastguard?

 

My friend and I were considering signing up to the local lifeboat station and were waiting for the coxswain to arrive for a discussion when we met the then-Station Officer of the Rhyl team. He was completing the monthly vehicle checks when he saw us waiting, so invited us to the station for a cup of tea.

He straight away sold the idea of the Coastguard to us immediately, by tellig us the story of the service and sharing a bit about the role. If you know who I'm talking about then you will know that he could sell water to a whale!

 

What do you enjoy most about being a member of the team?

 

The camaraderie between each member of the team, they are like an extended family.

 

What new skills have you learned as a CRO?

 

I have developed skills which enable me to take command of incidents whilst being the officer in command. I have also developed my interpersonal and communication skills, by liaising between multiple agencies during incidents.

 

What is the most challenging part of your role?

 

Balancing my coastguard life with my home life - I try to make sure that I spend lots of time with my two daughters in particular as I don't want to miss watching them grow, as the coastguard can see you missing bedtime. I also make sure that I put time aside for my wife as well.

 

What is the most unusual incident you have attended?

 

A mud incident – in fact, thinking back, the whole evening was unusual and I have never come across a night quite like it, maybe it was a full moon. But it does show that we will respond, whatever goes wrong.

 

So someone was believed to have got stuck in the mud and we were tasked but, while we were getting ready, we heard that the RNLI Hovercraft had itself got stuck in trying to help. We confirmed that the man who was stuck had made his own way to safety but now we needed to help the hovercraft. 

Due to the location, we needed the All-weather lifeboat to transport us to where the hovercraft was stuck. But to meet the lifeboat, it was a 5 minute drive, so the police offered to take us - and the Station Officer and I ended up locked in the back of the police van as there weren't enough seats in front. But, during the drive, the job got even stranger when we came across a fallen down tree in the middle of a road and a Road Traffic Collision. 

So the police had to deal with that and we had to walk the rest of the way. We were really lucky that a local then offered to give us a lift the rest of the way, but that was some journey and some callout.

 

What is the most unusual place you’ve been when your pager has gone off?

 

I don’t really like to admit this but I think it must have been the time I was in a sunbed.

My mother works at a sunbed salon and they had just installed new tubes, so me and my fiancé were asked to test them out. But it was only 5 minutes into the session when my pager went off and I immediately hit my head on the bed - I wasn’t expecting it to go off! Let's just say that there was a large bang and everyone in the building was laughing, as I rushed off.

 

Which local beach is your favourite and why?

 

Talacre, just east of Prestatyn, as it has long sweeping sandy beach bordered by dunes. It has its very own lighthouse which looks great but also has great views towards the Wirral and Liverpool in the distance.

But Prestatyn is where you want to go for swimming as there are lifeguards patrolling in the summer months.

 

What do you do for a living?

 

I work as a Marine Rescue Crew Member on the River Mersey, attending water based incidents.

 

When you’re not working or volunteering as a CRO, what do you enjoy doing?

 

I like to stay active, whether I'm climbing a mountain or sailing and paddleboarding with the family. I also volunteer at my local marine cadet and sea cadet unit and I am the executive officer.

If you're interested in finding out more about the role of a Coastguard Rescue Officer in Rhyl or the surrounding area, then please visit: https://www.gov.uk/volunteer-as-a-coastguard/what-to-expect-as-a-volunteer.

Send the team an email at area15@mcga.gov.uk to find out about the latest opportunities in the region.

 

Share this page

 
Report a problem with this page

Help us improve hmcoastguard.uk

Don't include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.