https://coastguardsafety.campaign.gov.uk/

Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team, MARINE RESCUE CENTRE, Burnham-on-Sea (2026)

20/04/2026

The last few weeks have been busy for our volunteers with ongoing training, annual qualifications and several callouts.

Our 3 new members are now fully qualified and operational members of the team. We have completed our annual CERCC (Coastguard Emergency Responder Casualty Care) and Rope rescue requalifications.
The team is at full strength of 13 members and, as always, on call 24/7.

📟Call Outs📟

7th March - 06:19 – Job 11/26 - Tasked to assist Weston Coastguard team with a missing person search, thankfully the Police quickly located them away from our search area.

14th March – 11:52 – Job 12/26. Called to a casualty who had fallen from their horse and injured their shoulder. After being assessed they were found to be well enough to be driven to hospital by their family for further treatment.

14th March – 15:45 – Job 13/26. Tasked to a young man stuck in mud by BOS yacht club. As they were just off the hard sand we managed to extract them with just a throw line. Once on safe ground , we checked they were all OK and then gave some safety advice.

18th March – 19:02 – Job 14/26. During the 2nd attempt of our First Aid requalification we were tasked to reports of a unknown object in the River Brue. After extensive searching alongside police and the RNLI nothing unusual was found. We were then stood down to return to our assessments.

20th March – 18:58 – Job 15/26. Tasked alongside RNLI, Police and Ambulance to reports of a person in the water. Just as we arrived they managed to get themselves back to safety and so we left them in the company of the local constabulary.

21st March – 20:35 – Job 16/26. Called by reports of people in the water by the lower lighthouse. Once on scene no one was in difficulty. A call made with good intent but a false alarm.

18th April –16:16 – Job 17/26. Tasked to someone in the mud near to the yacht club. They were part of a rugby team and teammates had managed to pull them to safety. When we arrived on scene, after checking everyone was ok, we gave the visitors some safety advice on the dangers of the mud and soft sand in that area.

19th April – 04:08 – Job 18/26. Called by a person who was lost and disorientated on the beach. They were quickly found and guided to safety.

19th April – 19:37 – Tasked to assist the Police with an incident on Burnham seafront.

09/03/2026

Has Spring finally arrived? Well at least it has stopped raining every single day and the hours of daylight are increasing.

The recent high tides and storms have changed the beach in a couple of ways. One, the sand has been shifted quite dramatically in some places and previously covered patches of mud are now exposed, do take care and avoid these areas, you never know how deep and sticky they will be!
There is also the potential that this has uncovered a variety of objects, from harmless rubbish through to potentially dangerous historic ordnance. If you find any suspicious objects on the beach, do call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. It is always best to get things checked by the experts and it will never be a wasted call.

Overall, February has been a relatively busy month for the team in several ways. Firstly our 3 new members continue their basic training, and we look forward to them joining us very soon as fully operational CROs (Coastguard Rescue Officers) and ready to respond whenever and wherever needed.

Secondly, we have been going through our annual CERCC requalification (Coastguard Emergency Responder Casualty Care) making sure we are all up to date with the latest protocols to ensure we provide the best possible care whenever needed.

Finally the team have been called out to a variety of incidents in Burnham, Berrow, Brean and Weston.

📟 28th February – 15:29 – Job 10/26 – Berrow Beach
Tasked to Berrow beach car park to reports of potential ordnance being found by a metal detectorist. A cordon was put in place for safety and pictures carefully taken. After examining and liaising with the Army disposal team it was identified as safe and could be removed from the beach. In cases such as this it is always best to assume it is an old explosive until the experts confirm that it isn’t.

📟 17th February – 14:52 – Job 9/26 – Burnham
The team were called to assist other emergency services in the search for a reported missing 9 year old. Thankfully they were soon located and reunited with their family.

📟 11th February – 19:00 – Job 8/26 – WSM
Tasked to support the Weston team with reports of a person in distress at Weston Pier. As on route we were stood down when we received an update that the person was now in a safe location.

📟 8th February – 16:29 – Job 7/26 – Brean Beach
Tasked to reports of a person with an ankle injury and unable to walk. The team provided First Aid and support until the ambulance arrived. We then assisted with their evacuation from the beach.

📟 4th February – 23:25 – Job 6/26 – WSM
Called to support the Weston team on reports of a person in the water, stood down as on route to scene news arrived that the casualty was now safe.

If you ever seen anyone in difficulty along the coast, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

17/01/2026

The first 3 weeks of 2026 have brought a variety of call outs for the team, including one I am sure most of our followers have heard about, that being the major incident in Exmouth.

On Wednesday 14th during planned dredging operations in Exmouth Marina a suspected WWII bomb was discovered. A cordon was immediately put in place and Army and Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Teams called to assess.

Our team got involved on the morning of Thursday 15th when it was decided, after assessment, that the bomb would need to be moved to be safely disposed of. To prepare for this a larger cordon would be required and several hundred properties evacuated.
Coincidentally, a very similar incident was also taking place in Plymouth, further stretching available resources.

Coastguard teams from across the South West were mobilised along with our Search and Rescue colleagues in numerous other organisations including Mountain rescue, Cave rescue, South West 4x4, RNLI and Rapid Relief Team UK. All sent people to Exmouth whilst also retaining a response capability in their home area.
All teams worked seamlessly together, and with the Emergency Services agencies, to support and evacuate people from within the designated zone.

A extra special thanks from our team to Rapid Relief Team UK who proved over 300 meals (not just to us!) to keep all the teams fed and watered throughout the day.

Our team returned to Burnham at approx. 01:30 on Thursday 15th. The bomb was safely blown up in a controlled manner, 3km offshore, by the Navy EOD team.

Call Outs:
2nd January – 11:55 – Job 01/26 - Brean Down:
Reports of people potentially in danger at Brean Down. On arrival they were found to be local fisherman who were not in any danger but did look so from the shore. Well done to the person for calling us as we would always prefer to make sure everyone is well rather than not be called and it turns out someone was in danger.
A special thanks to a local supermarket for their understanding when one of our team left a trolley full of shopping in an aisle when the alert came in!

3rd January – 08:03 – Job 02/26 – Burnham Beach
Tasked to an unknown object on the beach. On arrival quickly established it was not a danger and we believe it was a large umbrella stand. Unless anyone else has a better idea?

14th January – 15:35 –Job 03/26 – Brean Down
We had our CERCC (Coastguard Emergency Responder Casualty Care) revalidation assessment booked for Wednesday evening but at 15:35 we were called to an incident at Brean Down, ironically the exact location our Officers had chosen for the assessment! By the time the incident had concluded it was too late for the assessment, just showing you never know what will happen next when you are a Coastguard volunteer.

15th January – 07:44 - Job 04/26 – Exmouth.

01/01/2026

We would like to wish all our followers a Happy New Year and we hope everyone has a healthy, happy and safe 2026.

2025 ended with the team having carried out 64 taskings, a lower number than our average year, but they still included a wide variety of incidents which exercised our range of skills and knowledge. We carried out rescues from mud, water and cliff, searched the coastline for those lost and provided medical support when needed.

Thank you to everyone for your support throughout the year. We say it every New Year, but it really is a privilege to serve the local community, and we are all so proud to be able to do so.

Looking into 2026 we have 3 new people joining our team and we look forward to them becoming fully operation in the next couple of months. We have our training plan in place for the next few months and so you may well see us out and about on a Wednesday evening.

HM Coastguard has teams all around the UK coastline, who are always on call and ready to assist you when in distress. If you ever get into an emergency at the coast, or see someone you feel may be in difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

24/12/2025

The team would like to wish you all a safe, peaceful and happy Christmas and a fantastic New Year.

We are on call 365 days a year so should you, or anyone else, unfortunately get into difficulty along our coast over the holiday period don't hesitate to dial 999 immediately and ask for the Coastguard.

Thank you for your support throughout 2025, we couldn't do this without you.

Dave, Stu, Julian, George, Rich, Sam, Steve, Jon, Tammy & Ben
Burnham on Sea Coastguard Team.

05/12/2025

As today is the United Nations International Volunteer Day it seems the perfect time to give the latest update on the team’s activities and callouts.

It is also appropriate to recognise all the support our team receive from those close to us. Some of the recent callouts have been in the early hours of the morning and this obviously impacts not only the team but also our partners and family, however quietly we try to leave our house!
All of the team are also either employed , or self-employed, and so another thank you to our bosses and customers who may occasionally see us a little blurry eyed and with a stifled yawn.
Thank you to you all, it’s only with your support we are able to do what we do.

Call Outs:

4th November 23:52 – 55/25 - Reports of a missing person in the Brean Down area. As travelling to the scene we located the person alongside the road. As we stopped a Police car also pulled up, after checking if our assistance was still required, we left them in the safety of the local constabulary.

16th November – 20:42 – Job 56/25 - The team were tasked to reports of a red distress flare being seen in the Bridgwater Bay area. As we searched for anyone in distress from the shore, RNLI Lifeboats at Burnham-on-Sea launched and commenced to search the bay. Visibility was good and after a comprehensive search pattern nothing untoward was seen. A red flare is an internationally recognized distress signal and must only be used when in danger and if you do see one, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

27th November – 12:37 – Job 57/25 - Tasked to support Weston-Super-Mare Coastguard Rescue Team on reports of an individual in difficulty in the mud at Uphill beach. As we arrived on scene the casualty had made their own way back to the harder sand and the safety of a Police car.

29th November – 00:21 – Job 58/25 – Our tasking alert woke the team to reports of a missing person in the Weston-super-Mare area who was potentially intending to enter the water. A full search was conducted along the seafront until an update was received saying they were now in a place of safety.

29th November – 16:12 – Job 59/25 – We were again tasked to support our colleagues at Weston on reports of a person in difficulty in the mud on the beach. Just as we were arriving on the scene we received an update saying the casualty was now safe and back on firm ground.

3rd December - 00:17 – Job 60/25 – Another wake up for the team as tasked to Bridgwater and reports of a vulnerable person potentially in danger in the River Parrett. As we arrived the individual was just back on safe ground and in the care of other Agencies.

If you see anyone in difficulty along the coast dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

16/11/2025

On Friday and Saturday our team have been part of the multi-agency response to the extensive flooding in the Monmouth area.

As a team we are proud to have played our part in supporting the people of Monmouth and our thoughts are now with everyone impacted.

19/10/2025

**Team and Call out updates**

As well as being on call 24x7x365 our volunteers also take part in regular training sessions and exercises. Wednesday is our regular training night, you will often see the team out and about in the seafront area.

We have a training rota that ensures we practice all of our key skills on a regular basis to keep the team up to date with the latest best practices and also competent in using all of our equipment, in whatever conditions we find ourselves in.

This week it was time for some mud practice and so the team headed to the Yacht club area. A great session followed with a variety of scenarios being practiced. After this, the joy of washing all the kit followed, something that can take as long as the practice itself!

The team has also recently recruited 3 new members who will shortly be starting their training. We wish them well and look forward to them becoming fully operational members of Burnham on Sea Coastguard Rescue Team in the near future.

🚨Call Outs🚨
21st September- 48/25 – 01:48 - A very early wake up for the team to assist Avon and Somerset Police with a search for a missing person, thought to be in the Burnham area. Supported by Weston-Super-Mare Coastguard Rescue Team colleagues, a search plan was formulated and teams set out on both sides of the River Brue. Thankfully the individual was quickly located and escorted back to safety.

26th September – 49/25 - 01:33 – Tasked to support Weston team, along with Police, Ambulance and Fire with a person in distress and in the mud near to the Grand Pier. A multi-agency incident and the individual was soon located and returned to safe ground and the care of the Ambulance service.

1st October – 50/25 - 15:35 – Called to a report of an individual needing medical assistance on Berrow beach. The casualty was quickly located and cared for by the team until handed over to the arriving Ambulance.

7th October – 51/25 - 15:36 – Tasked to assist Police with a vulnerable missing person who was thought to be in the Brean area. As our OIC was formulating a search plan, further details emerged indicating that the individual had been located in a different part of the County.

11th October – 52/25 – 17:27 – Tasked to back up Weston on reports of 2 people in mud. As we made our way to the reported location we received an update saying all were now safe and so we could turn the truck around and return to station.

16th October - 53/25 – 15:35 – Called out to support Weston with a casualty in the water on Weston beach. Again, as we made our way to the scene, good news arrived saying they were now safe and in the care of the Ambulance service.

16th October – 54/25 – 19:29 – The team were called out to support Police with a search for a missing person though to be in the Brean Down area. Based on the information available our OIC formed a search plan and 2 teams set out to initially search the quarry end of the Down. Shortly after setting out we received an update that the person has been located safe and well in Weston.

26/08/2025

The Bank Holiday weekend showed the variety of events and incidents that the team can get involved in and you never know what the next call out may be.
If this interests you then why not apply to join the team as a volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officer? See our previous post for full details of how to apply.

The first call out of the weekend came on Saturday evening
📟Job 43/25 – 18:10

Along with RNLI Lifeboats at Burnham-on-Sea we were called out to reports of a disabled powerboat and potentially a person in the water. As the lifeboat made good time towards the incident, news arrived that all people were accounted for and the boat was under tow by another vessel. With confirmation all were safe the team stood down.

Sunday 24th August – Burnham Emergency Services Day and call out 44/25
The team had a great day at the Emergency Services day organised each year by BARB Search & Rescue - Burnham-on-Sea hovercraft and attended by a wide variety of groups and organisations. The event gives the team an opportunity to talk to the public about the work we do and the equipment we carry.
As the team were busy demonstrating our skills, the alert came in that we were needed in Watchet to support the local team with reports of a person and dog had fallen over a cliff. The equipment being displayed was quickly loaded back into our truck, but just as we prepared to leave the station an update was received advising that all were safe.

Monday 25th August – Jobs 45/46/47

📟13:46 – 45/25 Tasked along with BARB to Brean Beach to reports of 2 people in difficulties in the mud.
On arrival we could see the 2 individuals were slowly making their way back towards the beach but still a good distance from the harder sand. Three of our team made their way towards them to guide them to the firmer ground and to deliver some much needed water. BARB’s hovercraft was on scene ready to fly if it was needed but all made their way back to safety under their own power, safety advice given and then the team stood down and headed back to station.

📟16:34 – Job 46/25. We just had time to get home and sit down for a cuppa when our alert sounded again, this time to Berrow beach and reports of suspected ordnance. A metal detectorist had got a strong signal on something and had dug down to find a cylindrical shaped metal object. With a military background he quickly realised it could indeed be some historic ammunition and had done the right thing by dialling 999.

As our Officer-in-charge liaised with Coastguard control and the military EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) unit the team put in place and maintained a cordon, along with Avon and Somerset Police to ensure the safety of all until we could confirm if the object was a danger. Thank you to all on the beach for your understanding and cooperation.

With the EOD expertise it was deemed the object was harmless and could be removed from the beach.

📟18:48 - Just as the team had managed to dig it free we were deployed to a more urgent job to support Weston-Super-Mare Coastguard Rescue Team as it was reported that a man was stuck in the mud with a fast rising tide near to the Tropicana. With the circumstances this had to be the priority. Thankfully as we made our way we had an update that they were now safe.
The team returned to our station to wash down all the kit used and make ready for the next shout.
A busy and varied weekend for sure.
Remember if you see anyone in difficulty along the coast dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

21/08/2025

Looking to do something rewarding?

We’re currently looking for Coastguard Rescue Officers to join our teams!

HM Coastguard is the UK’s 999 maritime and coastal emergency service. Our Coastguard Rescue Service is made up of volunteers who carry out rescues and help those in distress around our coast. As a volunteer coastguard rescue officer, you could be involved in a range of situations, from mud, cliff and water rescues to searches for missing people. As a volunteer you will not be paid. You can claim a small amount for your time and expenses.

Volunteering with us is a rewarding role that supports and gives back to your local community. You can make a real difference and help to save lives.

For more information about the Coastguard Rescue Service or to apply to become a volunteer.

https://hmcoastguard.uk/volunteer-as-a-coastguard

Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team is located within Area 12.

Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team

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