Cleethorpes coastwatch station to tackle incidents 'hotspot'
"There is a higher than average rate of incidents in that area and we would hope that, with our new station, we will be able to reduce the rate of incidents in the area," said Mr Whalley.Trained volunteers at the station, which is next to Cleethorpes Leisure Centre, would report any coastal safety-related incidents to HM Coastguard for "expert rescue assets to be sent", the charity said.Mr Whalley said the resort was popular with visitors and footfall had grown since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown."There's been a high increase in attendance to this very attractive coastal resort," he said. "It's a beautiful beach, but it also can be dangerous."
A large proportion of the incidents involved people being cut off by the incoming tide, or people needing to be rescued due to offshore winds.On Monday, five people had to be rescued by a Coastguard helicopter after misjudging the tide on the sands off Cleethorpes.The National Coastwatch charity, which was set up in Cornwall in 1994 and run by volunteers, now has 61 stations, with fully-trained volunteer watchkeepers all reporting to HM Coastguard. As well as the one in Cleethorpes, there are three other stations on the Lincolnshire coast - at Chapel Point, Mablethorpe and Skegness.Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
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'It was terrifying,' she adds, choking back tears. 'I kept on thinking: I'm never going to see my grandchildren again.' Returning to her home on Saturday, she found the interior thick with mud and branches. Water had reached the ceiling, and furniture was smashed and strewn into the yard. She was frantic with worry about their two cats, Sylvester and Baby, and their four-month-old sheepdog puppy, Milo - but on returning home found the animals sitting on the roof. 'I've seen flooding before, but never anything like that. It was just monstrous.' Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, has ordered state politicians to return to Austin for a special session on July 21, saying it was 'the way to respond to what happened in Kerrville'. A bill to fund warning systems, House Bill 13, was debated in the state House in April, but never made it to a full vote. Some speculated that the bill could be revived, although Abbott would not comment on their plans. Wes Virdell, a representative whose constituency includes Kerr County, was among those to vote against HB13 in the House. He has spent much of the past two days aiding rescue efforts, but told The Texas Tribune he'd now be in favor of the bill. 'I can tell you in hindsight, watching what it takes to deal with a disaster like this, my vote would probably be different now,' he said. Hierholzer now says all he can do is offer his help. He had texted his successor, Larry Leither, but did not want to get in the way. 'The main thing they need now is for people to stay away,' said Hierholzer. 'First responders can't get to the area if there are sightseers wanting to see all the stuff. That's always a problem: please stay away and let them do their jobs.' He added that Leither 'has his hands full right now', recalling his own time leading the emergency response, and dealing with such heartbreaking scenes. 'He's seeing things he shouldn't have to,' Hierholzer added.
