Press Release - Hovercraft called into action during training

Monday 9 June

15.00 hours

Avon Fire & Rescue Service’s new hovercraft has already rescued a woman from the mud, even though the vessel is not officially in service yet.

Crews from Blue Watch at Weston-super-Mare Fire Station were training on the vehicle on the mudflats in Weston Bay at around 19.00 hours on Saturday 8 June when they noticed a man waving his arms.

The firefighters, who are currently training hard to get the hovercraft fully operational in time for the busy summer season, went over to the man, where they found a woman up to her knees in the mud.

The crews then assisted the man and freed the woman from the mud, before taking them to safety on the hovercraft.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service is hoping to have the hovercraft fully operational by the end of June. It will cover an area of the shoreline from Brean Down to Sand Bay, and is equipped to deal with a range of incidents including rescuing people who have became trapped in the mud and providing support to the area during times of inland flooding.

Watch Manager, Pete Coombs, who has been leading the project to add a hovercraft to Avon Fire & Rescue Service’s fleet, said: “This incident highlights just how essential it is for this part of the country to have a hovercraft. Whilst the mudflats can look quite safe, when the tide starts coming in the water rises quickly and people find themselves trapped.

“Our hovercraft will prove vital during these types of rescues, as we can get to casualties quickly, but also it will ensure the safety of our crews, who in the past have had to walk out onto the mudflats.

”Once the hovercraft becomes fully operational we will be working closely with the HMS Coastguard to carry out rescues. In this case we happened to come across a couple in need of our help and we were able to respond immediately.”

Avon Fire & Rescue Service’s hovercraft is expected to be fully operational by the end of June when all training is complete. It will be used to complement the services already provided by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) and HMS Coastguard.