Join walk for lifesavers: Why Weymouth needs a coastguard supercentre

At 11am today supporters of the Echo’s Save Our Lifesavers campaign will be meeting at the Weymouth Pavilion for the Walk of Support.

They will walk through the town with banners, posters and chanting campaign slogans, to Greenhill Gardens where campaign champions will give speeches. Then there will be a walk back to the Pavilion.

Everyone is welcome to join the peaceful walk at any point along the route.

Under new plans currently under consultation Portland Coastguard Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Weymouth, along with eight others in the UK, would close and all rescue operations for those areas would be co-ordinated from a supercentre in Southampton or Portsmouth.

But the actual site has not been confirmed and the Echo’s campaign in connection with Weymouth and Portland Borough Council aims to convince the government and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to site the supercentre in the borough instead.

This will safeguard jobs and ensure that coastguard controllers with knowledge of the Dorset coast are co-ordinating rescues.

Among the crowds will be those rescued by the coastguard including Alex Allanby and his family who extended their holiday to take part and show their support for Alex’s heroes.

The 10-year-old was rescued this week from half way up a 60ft cliff that was giving way beneath his feet.

People in the community have worked tirelessly to collect signatures for the Echo’s petition to site the supercentre in the borough.

Currently the total is 13,568 and after the walk all the petitions will be collected in before a final count is made and the petition is taken up to London to present to the government.

Climber rescued after plunge

A delicate rescue operation was carried out by coastguards after a climber plummeted 55 feet down a cliff face on Portland.

The 22-year-old man, who landed on his back, had to be eased into the Portland Coastguard helicopter and airlifted to hospital following the fall at Blacknor on Thursday evening.

Coastguard helicopter 104 which was scrambled to the scene broke down just as it arrived at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester with the casualty.

The climber, believed to be from the Bridport area, is believed to have damaged his vertebrae after landing heavily.

Portland Bill and Wyke Regis Coastguard teams frantically worked in the fading light to rescue the climber.

Onlooker Stuart Rudd said: “They were down there for about an hour and by the time they pulled him up it was getting quite dark.

“It looked as though it was a good rescue.”

Disc jockey Mr Rudd, 34, was staying with his sister on Portland when he heard the helicopter.

He said: “I was at my sister’s and we saw flashing lights and heard the helicopter.

“We walked to the cliff edge and could see a man down the bottom of the cliff.

“He was moving his arms around and they kept him laying flat and put him on a spinal board.

“The rescuers were able to walk down to him and you could see how careful they had to be with the spinal injury – it took a bit of a process.”

Coastguard watch manager Andy Jenkins said the coastguard teams were called out after South Western Ambulance Service took a 999 call.

He said: “The climber was fortunate that he was in a location that was accessible by the rescue services in a short space of time as opposed to being in a remote area.

“We had to take our time to get the guy onto the spinal board and make sure he was secured properly.

“The aircraft crew arewell trained – they were able to make sure his head and back weren’t twisted.”

Mr Jenkins said it was quite rare for the coastguard to need to come to the aid of a climber.

He added: “Generally climbers are very well prepared and very well trained.

The man was kept in Dorset County Hospital for tests and is believed to be in a stable condition.

Alex says thanks to his special heroes

A ten-year-old boy who was rescued by coastguards from a Dorset beauty spot has thanked the heroes who saved his life.

Holidaymaker Alex Allanby was plucked to safety after becoming stuck halfway up a 60ft cliff at Man O’ War Bay near Durdle Door.

The youngster, from Hertfordshire, told how he feared for his life as he was left clinging on to the cliff face.

He had spoken to his family about climbing but before he knew it he was far up the cliff and was unable to get down as rocks, grass and earth started to fall away from under his feet.

A passing walker, Luke Coleman visiting the area from Pulborough in Sussex, scrambled help. He climbed up to the frightened youngster and talked to him to calm him down until the coastguard cliff rescue teams from Lulworth and Wyke Regis arrived on Tuesday.

The teams winched the two casualties down the cliff and were supported by the Weymouth inshore lifeboat and the coastguard helicopter.

Alex, from Hertforshire, is on holiday in Dorset with his family including mum Nicola, grandma Sue and sisters Imogen, seven, and Kiera, four.

Alex said: “It was really frightening and I couldn’t get down. It was really reassuring when the coastguards came.

“They saved my life – they are my heroes.”

He added: “I’d like to thank Luke. He came up and helped to calm me down and advised me.”

Alex said that he had been really scared clinging on to the cliff.

He said: “I was so glad to be back on the ground when we got to the beach. “I was really scared – the cliff was nearly vertical and I had to hang on with the ground going from under my feet”

Mum Nicola said the coastguards did a fantastic job.

She said: “We underestimatethe fact that you can just ring a number and talk to someone who has the local knowledge.”