Whitby Coastguard

Home
United Kingdom
Whitby
Whitby Coastguard

HM Coastguard Whitby is a Search and Rescue Team, part of the Coastguard Rescue Service. This page is not monitored 24/7.

Whitby Coastguard are a Search and Rescue Team and form part of the Coastguard Rescue Service of HM Coastguard. We are equipped and trained to carry out Searches, Rope Rescue and Water Safety and Rescue in addition to a number of other functions. We are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to emergencies and incidents on the coast. In all coastal emergencies dial 999 and ask for the

Coastguard. If you are interested in joining us as a volunteer, please leave a message or email [email protected]

21/06/2026

🪢Rope Operations Qualifier🪢

Congratulations to Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team’s Tim and Jason, who have successfully completed their Rope Operations course this weekend, alongside colleagues from Staithes Coastguard and Redcar Coastguard Rescue Team.

It has been a hot and demanding few days, with plenty of physical challenges, problem solving, and teamwork required throughout the course. Well done to everyone involved for their hard work and commitment.

When people think of cliff rescue, they often picture our Rope Rescue Technicians working over the edge. What is less visible is the team above the cliff. Rope Operations is the foundation that allows those rescues to happen safely, providing the systems, safety checks, communication and control needed to support technicians working in extremely challenging environments.

A cliff rescue is never a one person job. It takes a minimum of eight trained Coastguard Rescue Officers working together, each with a specific role, to safely manage a rope rescue. Strong teamwork, clear communication, a solid understanding of rope systems and the ability to adapt to changing situations are all essential.

The skills developed on courses like this help ensure that when our communities need us most, we can work safely, effectively and professionally in some of the most difficult rescue environments on the coast.

Well done again to Tim, Jason, and all those who completed the course this weekend.

A big thank you to members of Area management Teams from Area 5 and 6 for their delivery of the course and teaching over the weekend.

📟 Here to serve our community 24/7
💙 Your Whitby Coastgaurd Rescue Team

13/06/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday, Rob! 🎉

Today we’re celebrating one of the longest-serving members of our team, with an incredible 37 years of service under his belt.

Over nearly four decades, Rob has seen just about every change, challenge, vehicle, uniform, procedure and rescue method the Coastguard can throw at a person. If there’s a story to tell, a lesson to learn, or a piece of Coastguard history to remember, chances are Rob was there for it.

A Rope Technician, OIC, part of the UK wide flood team, mentor, problem solver and all-round fountain of knowledge, Rob is the sort of team member every rescue team hopes to have. Always willing to share his experience, lend a hand, offer advice, or point you in the right direction (usually with a cheeky comment thrown in for good measure).

Whether you’re a new recruit finding your feet or a seasoned team member needing a second opinion, Rob will always make time to help. His commitment to both the team and the local community over the last 37 years has been nothing short of remarkable.

37 years in the Coastguard means Rob has probably attended incidents before some of our team members were even born, used kit we’ve only ever seen in photographs, and can usually start a sentence with “Back in my day…”

Happy birthday Rob, and thank you for everything you continue to bring to Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team.

🎂🚨

09/06/2026

🌈 When it rains… look for the rainbow

Callout numbers are rapidly rising round the coast, and it was another busy day for Whitby Coastguard, but one that highlighted exactly why teamwork and training matter.

Earlier in the day, the team was tasked to Sandsend to assist Yorkshire Ambulance Service following reports of a casualty who had sustained head and leg injuries after a fall on the beach. Due to the nature of the injuries and location, a stretcher extraction was required to safely move the casualty across difficult terrain and into the care of waiting ambulance crews for further treatment. We wish them a full and speedy recovery.

Later tonight, teams from across Area 5 South joined colleagues from Whitby, Staithes, Redcar and Runswick RNLI for a multi agency training exercise at Port Mulgrave, ran by our area management team. The scenario involved multiple casualties following a simulated cliff fall, requiring teams to search, assess, treat and recover casualties using a variety of rescue techniques.

What made the exercise particularly valuable was that there wasn’t a single “right answer”. Teams had to work together to assess the situation, share information, manage risk and develop safe extraction plans for each casualty, with each casualty having very different levels of injuries. It was a great opportunity to practise the problem solving, communication and decision making that sit at the heart of every rescue, whilst strengthening the relationships between neighbouring teams and partner agencies.

Whilst one incident was real and the other training, both relied on the same foundations-teamwork, adaptability and people working together towards the best possible outcome for those who need our help.

A big thank you to our flank teams at Redcar Coastguard Rescue Team , Staithes Coastguard along with Staithes and Runswick RNLI Lifeboat Station for another excellent opportunity to train together.

🚨Remeber, If you see someone in difficulty at the coast, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

📟 Ready to respond for our community 24/7
💙Your Whitby Coastguard Team

31/05/2026

🚨Incidents are rising, it’s not a number we can celebrate🚨

Over 14 young people have lost their lives in water related incidents across the UK during this half term heatwave alone. Behind every headline is a devastated family, grieving friends, and a community changed forever. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.

Here on our coastline, we’ve also seen a rise in incidents in recent weeks. We’ve responded to searches along side other services including Whitby RNLI lifeboat along the cliffs, reports of people in difficulty in the water, paddleboards drifting out to sea, and mobility scooters getting into difficulty on steep ground. We’ve also attended several highly sensitive mental health incidents to which we will make no further comment at this time.
These incidents are a reminder that even familiar places can present unexpected hazards, and they highlight the importance of safe access routes such as our towns cliff lift being available and functioning.

📍What concerns us most is that these tragedies aren’t limited to one type of location. They’re happening at beaches, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, waterfalls, beauty spots and along our coastline. Places that are often visited for a day out, a walk, a paddle or an instagram post.

The common factor is often a lack of understanding of just how quickly a situation can change.

Water that looks calm can be dangerously cold. A river can be far more powerful than it appears. Rocks around waterfalls can be slippery and unstable. No understanding of what happens to the water underneath the surface. The consequences of not wearing buoyancy aids or life jackets at sea. Tides can cut off escape routes far quicker than expected. Even on warm days, cold water shock can affect anyone, regardless of age, fitness or swimming ability.

We aren’t sharing this to alarm people or stop anyone enjoying the outdoors. We live and work in some of the most beautiful places in the country and want people to enjoy them safely.

⏱️Please take a few minutes to check the conditions before you head out. Understand the risks, carry the right equipment, and have a plan. Talk to your children and young people about water safety. Those conversations may feel small, but they can make all the difference.

The incidents we attend are a reminder that water deserves respect wherever you find it, at the coast, in the dales, beside a river, around a lake, or beneath a waterfall.

‼️Please don’t assume it won’t happen to you or someone you know. Every family affected by these tragedies probably thought the same. It could be your child, your sibling, your partner, your friend. Please take water safety seriously and look out for one another.

Take care of yourselves and each other this summer.

📟On call for our community 24/7
💙Your Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team

26/05/2026

Happy Birthday to Dave from all of us at Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team! 🎉

After many years on the team, Dave has mastered plenty of Coastguard skills… but none quite as impressive as his ability to spot a camera from 200 metres away and immediately become front and centre or strike a pose. 📸😎

Whether it’s training, team photos or somehow appearing front and centre at exactly the right moment, Dave never misses an opportunity for a good picture.

All jokes aside, he’s a valued part of the team, has given many years service to the town of Whitby and always keeps spirits high with his humour… or highly intellectual sarcasm 😂

Have a brilliant birthday Dave, we’ll try not to post too many dodgy photos of you… no promises though. 🚨🎂

25/05/2026

A fantastic example of multi-agency working in the early hours of this morning alongside Staithes Coastguard, Redcar Coastguard Rescue Team, and Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team and North Yorkshire Police
As this was such a team effort we felt there was no need to report it twice, Staithes Coastguard have it covered below if you’d like to read more ⬇️

23/05/2026

☀️It’s going to be a hot one! ☀️

With the warm weather and bank holiday bringing so many people to the coast this weekend, we just wanted to put a gentle reminder out there to take care while enjoying it all. ☀️🌊

It’s been a busy few weeks for the team between incidents, training and even some recent school visits talking to children about staying safe around the coast, and one thing we always try to get across is that the seaside can change very quickly, even on the calmest, sunniest days.

Over the last week our teams have attended incidents along the coastline, and while we won’t comment further on those, it’s a reminder that a simple family day out can become something very different in a matter of moments.

Cold water shock remains a real danger, even in hot weather. The sea temperature is far colder than many people realise, and entering the water unexpectedly can quickly become serious.

If you’re heading out walking the cliffs or coastal paths, take your time, keep back from unstable edges and always keep an eye on children and dogs near cliff tops and steep drops. If you’re exploring beaches, coves or rock pools, check the tide times before you set off and make sure you leave yourself safe exit routes.

And with the heat itself, please carry water, stay hydrated and don’t underestimate how tiring a long coastal walk can become in the sun.

We’re always happy to stop for a chat if you see us out and about over the weekend, whether that’s on patrol, or training around the clifftops. We’d always rather people ask questions, check tide advice or call us early if something doesn’t feel right.

Most importantly, we want everyone to enjoy the coastline safely and head home with good memories for the right reasons.

If you ever see somebody in trouble on the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. 📞

📟On call for our community 24/7
💙Your Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team

11/05/2026

A wonderful afternoon spent with Hawsker-cum-Stainsacre C of E Primary School children today.

We had a great time talking about the impact of what we do and why we do it. There were so many brilliant questions and a lot of knowledge from these youngsters today- we were very impressed!

Til next time guys 🫡

💙Your Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team

28/04/2026

🚨 Call Out for Whitby Coastguard🚨

Not every shout starts where you expect it to…

This evening, whilst some of the team were over at Staithes for a really useful session with the ops room, a call came through reporting what was believed to be a paddleboarder being blown out to sea.

👉Plans quickly changed.

Whitby team members made their way back towards Whitby, working closely with the ops room to get eyes on as quickly as possible and build a clearer picture of what we might be dealing with.

With various search teams split up and positioned around the pier, pavilion and promenade, and binoculars on the water, it was soon established that what had been seen offshore was not a paddle boarder but the North cardinal buoy.

Once fully confirmed, all units were stood down.

🛑It might not have been a person in the water this time, but it’s exactly the kind of call we’d always want to receive, if in doubt, always call.

If something doesn’t look right, or you’re unsure, it’s always better to let us know. It gives us the chance to assess things early and respond quickly if needed.

As we’ve said before, social media isn’t the right place to check or discuss, every minute counts regardless of false alarm with good intent, or what turns out to be a real threat of harm to life. The first informant did the right thing tonight.

📟when the pager goes off, we will respond 24/7

⚠️remember…
📞 If you ever see anyone in difficulty at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

💙your Whitby Coastguard rescue team

Address

Captain Cook Crescent
Whitby
YO224

Telephone

+441262672317

Website

https://hmcoastguard.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Whitby Coastguard posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your organisation to be the top-listed Government Service in Whitby?