Coastguards to receive major awards for rescues

Coastguards to receive major awards for rescues

11 April 2012

TWO local Coastguards have received prestigious awards for rescuing 12 people who became stranded in rising tides off the County Down coast.

John Kirkpatrick and Keith Campbell, who both live in Dundrum and are members of the South Down Coastguard team, carried out two separate rescues last year of groups which became stranded as they tried to cross the treacherous Dundrum Inner Bay.

Both men have been awarded the Chief Coastguard’s Commendation for Exceptional and Meritorious Service — two of only five such awards in the whole of the United Kingdom.

On April 27 John was called out after two women and six children, including a four month old infant in a pram, got into difficulties as they tried to walk across the inner bay.

The group became trapped in soft mud and as the tide advanced rapidly became very distressed as they became more and more isolated.

John was the first Coastguard on the scene and brought the children to safety first before going back for the women.

“When I arrived the children were scrambling out of the mud so I assisted them onto hard sand, reassured them and went back to the two women who were by now up to their knees in mud,” said John.

“I got the pram with the baby out and the women seemed to take heart from that and I was able to guide them to where other Coastguards had arrived and had taken care of the children.”

The second rescue took place on July 9 in a different part of the Inner Bay when four teenagers from Ballykinlar tried to take a short cut to Dundrum by walking across the sand.

They became stuck in heavy mud and a rapidly incoming tide had reached their chests when Coastguard officer Keith Campbell arrived. He rushed to his home, which is nearby, and brought a small inflatable boat to the scene and rowed out to rescue the four, who were by now in water up to their necks and very cold.

“The tide was coming in very quick and I knew we would not be able to wait for the lifeboat to negotiate its way up the tricky river section in the bay,” said Keith.

“When I got to them in the boat they were up to their necks in water and the smallest one was standing on the feet of one of his bigger friends to keep his head above water.

“They were very cold when we got them ashore. Four very lucky boys.”

Both men are modest about their achievements, although senior Coastguards have heaped praised on the pair.

John said he was just doing the job he had been trained for but said it was good for the South Down Coastguard team to get some recognition.

“There are a lot of people doing a lot of hard work but it often goes unsung,” said John.

Keith was glad he was in the right place at the right time “to get a good result.”

“I don’t think I deserve it, I just did would I could to help the lads,” he said.