Snow problem for Coastguard

Coastguards have been pitching in to help other emergency services cope with extreme weather conditions during the past week.

Because each station has a specialised 4X4 off-road vehicle, coastguards have been able to help transport patients, get paramedics to where they're needed, tow stuck ambulances and AA patrol vehicles, take a woman in labour to hospital, rescue a stranded diabetic, and make sure doctors and nurses get into hospital from cut-off areas.

Her Majesty's Coastguard in Bexhill joined with colleagues from Hastings, Rye Bay and Eastbourne to support their fellow emergency service responders and critical NHS staff.

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Gary Tidman, Deputy Station Officer at Bexhill Coastguard, said: "This weather has really had us in our element, allowing us to hone our off-road skills and realise our duty to assist our fellow emergency responders".

"All the staff we helped have been so appreciative, we've heard some heartening stories during some of the many journeys we made between the DGH and Conquest hospitals. Such as the staff that were prepared to walk miles in the snow, or those that abandoned their cars and continued the journey on foot to the hospital, such was the dedication to their patients."

"Bexhill Coastguard Rescue Team has been proud to be involved in the transport operations over the past week; each team member's enthusiasm and unwavering willingness to face blizzards, sheer ice and snow drifts, night and day has been a testament to their continued dedication to serving the community. I myself am very proud of their efforts.

"One comment we heard from a local surgeon being transported from the Conquest to Bexhill, summed it up nicely - "It feels like the Dunkirk spirit, the way everyone is pulling together."

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