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Coastguard in plea to put name on equipment


By Alan Beresford

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KAYAKERS, canoeists and body boarders are being asked to ensure their equipment is labelled with the owner's details.

Tracing abandoned body boards and other items can waste valuable rescue resources. Picture: Darren Crisp
Tracing abandoned body boards and other items can waste valuable rescue resources. Picture: Darren Crisp

The call comes as part of a new campaign by the Coastguard, who in recent weeks have found numerous items, such as kayaks, drifting out at sea or abandoned near the shoreline.

In recent weeks, Coastguard rescue teams have found numerous items such as kayaks and canoes drifting out at sea or abandoned near the shoreline. Unfortunately, some of the items found have not had their owner's contact details written on them nor been reported as missing to the Coastguard.

As a result, it makes it difficult for the Coastguard or other agencies to find out who it belongs to and also means they can never be completely sure if someone is safe or in the worst case, in trouble at sea.

This can place a huge strain on rescue resources, especially during the busy summer period, which can include a wide range of agencies such as the Coastguard, RNLI and police.

To help people label their kit appropriately, outdoor label name tags are now available free of charge online.

They are very easy to use – simply write your contact details onto the paper side and stick onto your piece of equipment.

The tags can be obtained at http://mca.ecgroup.net

Dai Jones, HM Coastguard duty controller, said: "We recommend that you clearly mark your equipment and other items you bring to the coast with your name and contact details so that if it is lost, stolen or abandoned, we can contact you to make sure that you are safe.

"This really helps us to save a lot of time, and could provide us with extra information we need to help you if we believe you’re in difficulty at sea.

"For canoeists and kayakers, our other safety advice is to wear a buoyancy aid and make sure you carry a VHF radio, so you can contact the Coastguard on Channel 16 if you get into difficulty.

"A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is also a good idea for more remote locations, so an accurate position of where you are can be sent direct to the Coastguard.

"And, remember, to tell friends or family where you are going and when you expect to return so that they can contact us if you do not come home as expected."

If you get into trouble or see someone else in trouble at sea or at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

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