02/07/2026
Withernsea Coastguard Rescue Team
999 - Coastguard
Have you got a minute to refresh yourself on the role and capabilities of HM Coastguard in your local area?
We are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in all weathers.
If you are interested in joining our team please click the link below.
https://hmcoastguard.uk/volunteer-as-a-coastguard
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Our Coastguard Rescue Station is located on central promenade near the Pier Towers providing excellent access to the sea front, allowing us to respond quickly to emergencies along our coastline and beyond.
We operate a blue light emergency response vehicle and are made up of a dedicated team of eight Coastguard Rescue Officers from a wide range of backgrounds including education, retail, health and safety, self-employed, health care, construction and transport and logistics.
Our team brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience, ranging from officers who have recently joined to others with 30 years of service. We also currently have four eager and committed trainees.
As Coastguard Rescue Officers, we provide a 24/7 on call response and can be mobilised at any time by a call from our operations centre. The majority of our officers live close to the station, helping us maintain a rapid response capability.
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Coastguard Operations Centres, located around the UK, are responsible for coordinating and tasking Search and Rescue (SAR) assets, including Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI lifeboats and Coastguard helicopters.
When you dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard, it is one of these Operations Centres that answers your call, assesses the situation and deploys the appropriate rescue resources.
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HM Coastguard is a government-funded emergency service and forms part of the UK's national Search and Rescue capability. Unlike other rescue organisations, HM Coastguard is not a charity and does not rely on public donations to operate.
As a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, HM Coastguard has statutory responsibilities for emergency preparedness, response and recovery. This makes the organisation one of the four emergency services (Fire, Police, Ambulance and Coastguard) that work together and alongside other responder agencies to protect life, property and the environment during emergencies.
Withernsea Coastguard Rescue Team is proud to play its part in delivering that capability at a local level, responding to incidents along our coastline and supporting wider emergency response operations when required.
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Withernsea Coastguard Rescue Team typically attends around 70 - 80 incidents each year and works closely with partner emergency services to provide an effective search and rescue capability.
Our primary responsibilities include:
โข Coastal Water rescue
โข Casualty care and evacuation
โข Lost and missing person searches
โข Time-Expired Pyrotechnics (TEP) and ordnance response
โข Establishing emergency helicopter landing sites (HLS)
โข Flood response
โข Royal Fish duties
โข Receiver of Wreck duties
โข On scene Incident coordination.
โข Mutual aid to other emergency services and agencies
โข Persons stuck in mud
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Several members of our flank teams are also part of HM Coastguard's specialist flood rescue capability, which can be deployed nationally to support communities affected by severe flooding.
Whether responding to a person cut off by the tide, assisting a casualty on difficult coastal terrain, searching for a lost or missing person, or supporting partner agencies during major incidents, our team is ready to respond whenever needed.
๐ In a coastal emergency, always dial ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐.
โต For water users, assistance can also be requested via VHF Marine Radio Channel 16.
The Coastguard Rescue Service is made up of volunteers who carry out rescues and help those in distress around our coast.
