26/06/2026
Yesterday, HM Coastguard Southend On Sea were tasked to five incidents along the coast over a 16-hour period.
Early in the morning, officers were asked to meet with a member of public who had found a phone and a number of personal belongings on the sea wall along Western Esplanade, Westcliff. Officers were required to conduct a search of the area and see if there was anyone in need of assistance.
While officers were checking the shoreline, the member of public was able to reunite the phone with its owner. We were able to confirm nobody was in danger near the coast and were then stood down.
A later incident involved a person on a paddleboard who had been blown away from shore by a north-easterly wind. With prompt deployment from RNLI Southend Lifeboat, the casualty was safely recovered and brought back to shore, where Coastguard officers were waiting to perform medical checks. Fortunately, the casualty didn't require any further medical assistance and the team returned to base.
Over the course of the day, the team were also tasked to assist HM Coastguard Canvey Island with possible persons in the water, check the welfare of a group of people perceived to be trapped in mud and also assist East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust with the extraction of a casualty from the beach suffering from a head injury.
As we move into the weekend, we know a lot of you will be visiting the beach here in the City of Southend so remember:
1. If you are going for a swim to cool down, please swim 'parallel' to the beach and do not venture too far out where you can't recover yourself if you get into difficulty.
2. Never use inflatables in the sea or rivers. They are best saved for use in swimming pools.
3. Southend will have late morning high tides so please do not venture a long way out on our mudflats if you are not familiar with our local tides as the tide will come in quickly and behind you and you could get cut off.
4. If you're taking part in any water activity, such as kayaking or paddleboarding, wear a lifejacket (PFD) and know your limits.
5. Ensure that children are well supervised at the coast and especially near water. Make a note of your surroundings and agree a family pre-arranged meeting place and take a family selfie to help first responders if someone goes missing.
6. If you find yourself in trouble in the water, shout for help and wave your arms. Remember to (think float like a starfish!)
Should you see anyone in trouble on or near the coast, don’t hesitate to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard, you could save someone’s life!
To Search
To Rescue
To Save Lives
