Hunstanton Coastguard Rescue Team

30/08/2026

Busy August continues…….

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 89 of 2026

Tuesday 25th August 16.36hrs

The team was tasked to two persons cut off by the tide at Old Hunstanton.

The stand down came whilst the team was en route.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 90 of 2026

Wednesday 26th August 15.03hrs

The team was called to assist with four persons and four dogs cut off by the tide at Brancaster.

The team was stood down prior to arrival on scene; the persons had self-rescued.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 91 of 2026

Thursday 27th August 20.39hrs

The team was tasked to assist Norfolk Constabulary in King’s Lynn, along with HM Coastguard Sutton Bridge.

No further details will be given.

If you see someone in difficulty along the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

24/08/2026

The team has been out and about this weekend.

On Saturday, we were pleased to be at the Frontline Emergency Services Festival in The Walks in King’s Lynn.
This was an amazing event, attended by some 6,000 people, who had the opportunity to learn more about all of our local emergency services. For us, it meant that we could meet many people who aren’t normally on the coast. We gave out lots of information and safety advice, along with stickers, children’s activity books and safety leaflets. Members of the public were able to have a go with a throw line - not as easy we make it look!
Many thanks to everyone who came and chatted with us; we all had a great day.
Many thanks, too, to Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service who made this all possible. See you next year!

A special mention to team member Ian, who completed the Park Run, in full kit, before the Festival. Hats off to you, mate!

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 88 of 2026

Sunday 23rd August 12.41hrs

Hunstanton CRT was tasked to assist with 30+ persons cut off by the tide on Brancaster beach.

Upon arrival, the team observed 22 persons, including children, stuck on a sandbank, which was completely surrounded by water. Team members prepared for rescue by donning full water rescue PPE and fetching throwlines.

However, before they could intervene, the hovercraft from Hunstanton RNLI arrived on scene. The hovercraft and crew proceeded to guide all persons back to shore to the waiting CROs, ensuring that they kept to a safe route whereby no one was out of their depth.

Once on shore, all were reminded to heed the safety notices warning of the danger of cutoffs in this area and to be mindful of tide times.

Thanks to NCI Brancaster for promptly making the 999 call and to Wells Coastguard Rescue Team, who backed us up.

If you see someone in difficulty along the coast, ring 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Photo credit: NCI Brancaster and Ian.

22/08/2026

Be bright, be seen 🩷

See how much easier it is to spot someone in the water?

Wearing bright colours such as neon yellow, green, orange and pink can improve your visibility in the water and make it easier for others to spot you if you get into difficulty.

In an emergency at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

21/08/2026

Rescue 912

21/08/2026

Our busy month continues. The last post gave our first call out of 14th August; read on to find out what else happened that day.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 85 of 2026

Friday 14th August 17.08 hrs

The team was tasked to assist with the search for a missing person at Lady Anne’s Drive, Holkham, along with Wells Coastguard Rescue Team.

As the team was leaving the station, they were stood down from this search in order to respond to a high priority incident in Hunstanton. Sheringham Coastguard Rescue Team was called to assist Wells CRT.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 86 of 2026

Friday 14th August 17.12hrs

Hunstanton CRT was called after reports of two young persons calling for help from the water off Hunstanton promenade.

Also called to attend were Norfolk Constabulary, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Hunstanton RNLI (hovercraft), the Coastguard rescue helicopter (912) and the Air Ambulance.

When the team arrived on scene, they were informed that one casualty had been pulled from the water by a member of the public. The other casualty was still in the water, drifting out to sea.

As team members made their way to the rescued casualty, the RNLI hovercraft came on scene and pulled the second casualty from the water.

The hovercraft came on to the beach and the decision was made to transfer both casualties by hovercraft to the ski ramp. This would facilitate rapid transfer to a land ambulance.

At this point, the Officer in Charge (OiC) was informed that the Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 912, was inbound with an ETA of 17 minutes and the land ambulance was 19 minutes out. The discussion was made to keep the helicopter en route so that the paramedics could make the earliest possible assessment of the casualties.

Both RNLI and Coastguard officers administered casualty care whilst waiting for paramedics to arrive. Other Coastguard officers cleared the beach to set up a helicopter landing site.

Rescue 912 arrived. Whilst the paramedic assessed one of the casualties, the first land ambulance arrived and those paramedics assessed the second casualty. Very soon after, a second ambulance arrived with an Incident Command Officer.

Following the assessments it was adjudged that the two casualties could be taken by land ambulance to hospital for ongoing treatment. They were loaded on board and left immediately.

Humber were informed of their departure. Once Rescue 912 had safely taken off, Coastguard and RNLI teams were stood down.

Whilst grateful thanks go to the member of public who assisted, we would remind everyone not to put their own life at risk by attempting to rescue others from the water. Please call 999 immediately.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 87 of 2026

Wednesday 19th August 17.27hrs

In the midst of that horrendous rainstorm, the team was called to reports of two people, last seen on a sandbank off Snettisham beach.

On arrival, team members were unable to locate the first informant. A scan of the area with binoculars failed to find any sign of persons in the water.

Humber was asked to contact the first informant for further details, resulting in the person coming to the team’s location.

Meanwhile a visible scan of the shoreline, which was approximately a mile and a half away, revealed a possible target. Humber was advised and decided to launch Hunstanton hovercraft for a shoreside search. After some 20 minutes, the initial sighting was discounted as of interest as it had not moved. The RNLI was advised and decided to hold the hovercraft on the pad until a positive sighting was made.

The first informant arrived and described where they had seen two adults, one child and a dog. The focus of the search moved to this area.

A Coastguard Officer spoke to another member of the public, who described seeing two adults, one covered in mud, a child and a dog coming off the beach approximately 40 minutes earlier, during the downpour. They had left swiftly in a vehicle.

Humber was informed. They asked for a full visual scan of Snettisham bay in order to confirm that the second sighting was probably of the same people. Once this was completed, with no sights of persons in difficulty, the team was stood down. The RNLI was advised and also stood down.

If you see anyone in difficulty on the coast, ring 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

18/08/2026

August, not surprisingly, is always our busiest month for call outs and this year is no different. We’ve already passed the total for last month. Last Thursday and Friday were particularly long and busy days.

Here are reports of the latest ‘shouts’:

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 79 of 2026

Tuesday 11th August 15.16hrs

Hunstanton CRT was tasked to three paddle boarders in difficulty off Brancaster beach.

The team was stood down en route, Humber Control having been informed that the paddle boarders were no longer in danger.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 80 of 2026

Tuesday 11th August 15.40hrs

Whilst returning to the station, the team was tasked to assist Norfolk Constabulary in King’s Lynn.

No further details will be released.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 81 of 2026

Thursday 13th August 14.00hrs

The team was called to ordnance on Holme beach.

The team located the ordnance, took photographs and measurements which were passed to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team via Humber Control. They assessed these and decided that they needed to attend, but would be unable to arrive before the items were covered by the incoming tide.

Hunstanton team manned a cordon until the objects were covered by the sea. Arrangements were made to return the following day to await EOD.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 82 of 2026

Thursday 13th August 20.50hrs

Hunstanton team was called out following reports of concern for two persons in a canoe off Old Hunstanton.

Once on scene, the team liaised with Hunstanton RNLI. Their hovercraft had already been launched and was alongside the canoe. The canoeists reported that they were not in any difficulty.

The team monitored the canoeists as they returned to shore. The team made sure that they were safe and well, before discussing several important safety points. These included having lights during hours of darkness and a working means of communication.

Humber Control was informed, but had received another 999 call from concerned family members. Once team members had confirmed that this was regarding the same incident, they stood down.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 83 of 2026

Thursday 13th August 22.36hrs

The team was tasked after reports of two red parachute flares west of King’s Lynn, along with HM Coastguard Sutton Bridge.

Upon arrival, the Officer in Charge liaised with the police before designating search areas. Hunstanton teams searched the Boal Quay area and the riverbank, King’s Lynn side. Two members of the team met Sutton Bridge CRT on the opposite side of the river to conduct a search there. Nothing was found to indicate persons in difficulty.

Humber was informed, who requested that the team move to Common Staithe Quay and the docks area. A search was conducted here. Again, nothing was found and docks security confirmed that they had received no reports of persons or vessels in distress.

The incident was recorded as malicious with intent to disrupt.

It resulted in two Coastguard teams and various police officers searching for three hours, late at night.

Please remember to dispose of marine flares responsibly at a registered disposal site, rather than letting them off. They are not fireworks; they will result in a call-out for emergency teams to investigate.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 84 of 2026

Friday 14th August 09.38hrs

Hunstanton team returned to Holme to await EOD, along with Wells Coastguard Rescue Team.

The original object was relocated fairly easily. A search of the nearby area found several other items of concern. A cordon was maintained around all of these.

When EOD arrived, they confirmed that there was more than one item that required detonation and they requested that the cordon be extended to a minimum of 500 metres. This was somewhat difficult due to the crowded beach, but all members of the public were happy to comply.

Two explosions were set off and various safe objects were removed from the beach.

Having assisted EOD officers to carry their equipment back to their vehicle, the team was stood down.

As always, we’d like to thank staff at Norfolk Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre for their assistance, particularly in providing refreshments.

Reports from the rest of Friday to follow.

If you see someone in difficulty along the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

11/08/2026

There’s been an interesting mix of call-outs so far this month, which reflect the diverse incidents that we are called to assist with.

The cause of the mysterious “flashing lights at sea” is revealed below, in the report of Incident 76 and the photo.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 75 of 2026

Wednesday 5th August 18.12hrs

Hunstanton team was tasked to assist East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust in exiting from North Beach, Heacham, following an incident to which they had been called.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 76 of 2026

Friday 7th August 06.33hrs

The team was tasked to investigate “flashing lights out to sea” at Thornham.

The team spoke to the First Informant when they arrived, who pointed out where the lights were coming from. Viewed through binoculars, the source appeared to be a piece of foil, snagged on a bush on the marsh. The team moved towards it and confirmed it was a balloon, glinting in the early morning sun.

In full water search and rescue PPE, a three-man team crossed the creek and marsh to retrieve the balloon, in order to prevent further confusion.

It wasn’t a dramatic rescue of a hot air ballon, just an escapee from a child’s birthday party!

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 77 of 2026

Sunday 9th August 13.05 hrs

The team was tasked to assist with a casualty who had fallen, hitting their head on rocks, at Old Hunstanton.

Upon arrival, some of the team searched the beach for the casualty, whilst others checked the car park area. It was established that the casualty had been moved from the original position and was now sitting in the family car.

The team was able to direct the ambulance to the car so that the paramedics could make an assessment.

Having handed the casualty into the care of the ambulance team, Hunstanton CRT was stood down.

🆘 Incident 🆘 # 78 of 2026

Monday 10th August 16.59 hrs

A local knowledge patrol for our newest team members was interrupted with a call to investigate an inverted paddleboard drifting off the beach between Heacham and Hunstanton.

The First Informant advised that the board had been on the sea wall steps in the morning and was able to point out where at sea it was now. The team got eyes on and established that there was no one in the water nearby.

Humber Control decided to call out Hunstanton RNLI, but the board was actually retrieved by a jet skier, avoiding the launch of the boat. The jet skier offered to keep the board until it was claimed.

The team stood down.

If you suspect that someone is in difficulty along the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

09/08/2026

We’d like to reinforce this message and add that digging under cliffs is also very dangerous.

Please fill in any holes that you’ve dug to avoid injuries to people who might unwittingly step into them or whose horses step into them and cause the rider to fall - both incidents that we have had to deal with in the past. Also, large holes cause difficulties for our vehicles, particularly after the sun has set, as we drive along the beach to rescue casualties.

Digging in the sand might seem harmless, but deep holes and tunnels can quickly become dangerous 🏖️

They can leave you stranded or quickly fill with water, and deep tunnels can collapse suddenly.

Please avoid digging holes deeper than waist height, and always fill them in before you leave to prevent others getting injured.

In an emergency at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard 📞

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

Before, during and after!

This was today’s call-out to investigate “flashing lights at sea”. Post to follow in a couple of days, which will solve the mystery.