Police officers asked for Coastguard help when a young man threatened to jump from the cliff. The Coastguard team helped the police restrain the man and carry him to safety over four clifftop fences.

The Coastguard was alerted on Tuesday when an unexploded shell was reported on Holme beach. Two team members located and marked the shell, and arranged to meet the Royal Navy’s bomb disposal team, who are based at Portsmouth. On Wednesday morning the shell was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

Hunstanton Coastguard was paged by MRCC Yarmouth following a report from a member of the public that he had heard someone repeatedly and unsuccessfully trying to hand-start an outboard engine. Three Coastguard teams scanned the sea at Hunstanton, Heacham and Snettisham, while Hunstanton Lifeboat searched offshore. The sea was calm, with intermittent fog. The Coastguard team at Heacham thought they saw red distress flares, though they later decided that the “flares” were probably military aircraft heading for the Holbeach range. The Coastguard and lifeboat fired several white parachute flares in response, and as an aid to searching. After two hours nothing had been seen and the search was stood down by Yarmouth.

Hunstanton Coastguard was paged on a foggy night after Yarmouth Coastguard received a report of a person in the water near the fairground at Hunstanton. It proved difficult to contact the original informant, whose mobile phone call had apparently been made from the Snettisham area. Seven team members in two Coastguard vehicles searched the promenade and beach at Hunstanton, Heacham and Snettisham, and spoke to people at the caravan sites, but there was no sign of either the missing person or the original informant. A later phone call suggested that the missing person had been found asleep, and the search team stood down.

Hunstanton Coastguard was called to investigate a boat that had beached itself at Snettisham. On arriving at the scene, the two team members found that the 5-metre boat had broken away from its moorings, filled with water and scattered its contents across the beach. They bailed out the boat and dug it out of the sand, with help from the police. They then towed the boat up the beach to a safe position above the high tide mark. Local people said that the boat had been moored at Snettisham for around three weeks. The boat is named Tinkerbell, and carries the numbers 2162 and 30922. It has a white hull with an orange superstructure, and a Honda 10 hp outboard engine.

Two exhausted kitesurfers were picked up by Hunstanton lifeboat. The Coastguard was in attendance to guide the lifeboat and take details of the casualties. An ambulance was called, but was stood down before arriving at the scene.

A middle-aged man windsurfing with his son was unable to return to shore when he became exhausted and hypothermic. The weather was squally and he was wearing a thin wetsuit. Coastguards conned Hunstanton Lifeboat to the casualty’s position, approximately 400m offshore from the Sailing Club. The lifeboat crew transferred the casualty to a waiting ambulance, and the Coastguard made contact with the man’s partner and son.

A female cyclist aged 65 fell over the edge of South Quay and landed in the mud with suspected spinal injuries. She was rescued by the Fire Service and the crew of the ferry, and landed at the Ferry Lane jetty, where an ambulance was waiting. Hunstanton Coastguard helped to direct traffic and recovered a bicycle belonging to the casualty’s husband.

A windy night, and member of the public reported sighting a red flare out to sea. Hunstanton Coastguard fired two white flares in response and spent 40 minutes watching the sea, but saw no sign of distress signals. They did see movements of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, whose lights are sometimes the cause of red flare reports. Yarmouth Coastguard spoke to a vessel in the Wash whose crew confirmed that they had not seen any distress signals.

During a routine patrol, the Coastguard was notified that a kitesurfer had lost his rig. He was able to return safely to shore with his board, but the kite — fluorescent green in colour — was last seen heading in the direction of Wells. The kitesurfer phoned Yarmouth Coastguard to tell them about the lost kite, and two 999 calls were also received from the public.

A 57-year-old man spent an estimated 20–40 minutes in the water after becoming separated from his jet ski in a choppy sea and strong wind. The alarm was raised when a member of the public spotted the craft floating unattended. Coastguards directed Hunstanton Lifeboat to the casualty, while two other jet skiers retrieved the jet ski. Paramedics checked the casualty at the lifeboat station and decided that he was well enough to return to his holiday home. The Coastguard transported the man back to his family and helped recover the jet skis.

Two men, one aged 18 and the other 19, were reported drifting in an inflatable boat. They were picked up by Hunstanton Lifeboat. A Coastguard team was on hand to provide further help if necessary.

A kitesurfer was reported in trouble near Brancaster golf club. By the time the Coastguard arrived, his two companions had swum out and helped him safely to shore.

A two-and-a-half-year-old child was reported missing. Hunstanton Coastguard responded, but the team was stood down a few minutes later when the child was found safe and well.

A kitesurfer reported as being in trouble was quickly located by the Coastguard team, on the beach safe and well. Hunstanton Lifeboat recovered his kite from the water.

A boy aged seven was reported missing on Scolt Head. Hunstanton Coastguard prepared to search from the Brancaster end with the aid of Hunstanton hovercraft, while Wells Coastguard proceeded to the Burnham Overy end of Scolt Head. The child was found safe inland.

A three-year-old child was reported missing. The Coastguard team found the child at the scene within a few minutes.

Two boys aged 15 were reported as being cut off on a sand bank. They reached the shore safely by themselves, but were reminded by the Coastguard about the dangers of swimming so far offshore at low tide.

A man in an inflatable boat helped a jet ski rider get his machine ashore after it had broken down. Coastguard in attendance. The last incident in a long day.

A jet ski rider helped two children ashore after they lost control of their inflatable boat. Coastguard in attendance.

A member of the public approached a Coastguard patrol to ask for help finding a missing eight-year-old boy. After a brief search the child was found safe and well.

An inflatable boat was reported as apparently in trouble. On investigation everything appeared to be in order. The Coastguard patrol used their public address system to warn beach users of the dangerous combination of an offshore breeze and a falling tide.

Two children in an inflatable were reported as possibly in trouble near The Firs. By the time the Coastguard team arrived on the scene, one inflatable was safely back on shore. A second inflatable was picked up from the sea by the lifeboat.

Helped Hunstanton Lifeboat round up inflatable boats being blown out to sea.

Helped police with beach access at Brancaster golf club.

Coastguards helped the Air Ambulance land on the beach after a man suffered a hip injury. Finding safe helicopter landing sites is an important part of the Coastguard’s work.

Used searchlights to locate a speedboat which had broken down approximately 500m offshore. Helped Hunstanton Lifeboat locate and recover the vessel. Four people on board.

A couple and their son holidaying in Heacham were reported trying to get to shore from a sandbank. The Coastguard team co-ordinated a rescue involving the lifeboat and hovercraft. The casualties were picked up by the Wash Monster and treated by an ambulance crew at the scene.

A three-year-old who had been reported missing turned up safe and well at the lifeboat station. The Coastguard’s response was delayed by the fact that the emergency phone in the clifftop car park reported itself to Yarmouth Coastguard as being at Snettisham.

Helped Hunstanton Lifeboat escort a narrowboat upriver after it ran aground in Lynn Channel. The crew received a short talk from the Coastguard about necessary safety equipment for the boat.

A young man was slightly injured when he fell from the clifftop. Coastguard and ambulance crews returned to base after the casualty refused help.

A middle-aged man, his nine-year-old son and their dog were reported overdue on a boat trip. Hunstanton and Wells Coastguard teams, Wells and Skegness lifeboats and an RAF helicopter were all tasked. Wells inshore lifeboat found the missing boat within 45 minutes.

A paramotor (powered paraglider) pilot landed in the marsh near Wolferton Creek. Subsequently he said that the engine had cut out at 1,500 feet, probably because it ran out of petrol. The Coastguard team helped the pilot’s backup team locate the casualty and guide the hovercraft into position. When the hovercraft was unable to reach the spot, the Coastguard guided an RAF helicopter until the pilot was able to locate the casualty by searchlight. Both pilot and glider were recovered safely. Coastguard remained in attendance until the early hours, when a high tide allowed the hovercraft to leave the scene.

A member of the public reported finding unexploded shells on the beach near the golf club. At 06:30 two Coastguard staff met a team from the Royal Navy’s Southern Diving Unit and located six high-explosive shells. These were destroyed on site in a controlled explosion.

A man running with his dog on the beach at Holme Gap tripped, fell and injured his ankle. An ambulance arrived at the scene but became trapped in soft sand before it could reach the beach. Coastguards used their vehicle to transport the casualty to the ambulance, and then helped the ambulance crew extricate their vehicle.

The team responded to a report of a missing child. The child was found within a few minutes.

A routine visit by the Royal Navy’s Southern Diving Unit (SDU2) to discuss future needs for explosives clearance turned into a “real” job when unexploded shells were found on Holme Beach. SDU is responsible for all explosives clearance operations below the high water mark in north and west Norfolk. An SDU team returned the following day and destroyed the shells in a controlled explosion.

Hunstanton Coastguard was called to take part in a search involving police and a helicopter after a person was spotted in the water. The Coastguard team was stood down before arriving at the scene. Police later recovered a man’s body from the water.

Two men were stranded when their jet ski ran aground approximately 800m offshore. Hunstanton Lifeboat tried to approach but had too little water to reach the spot. Coastguards located the men, reassured them that help was on its way, and guided the hovercraft to their location. The hovercraft crew rescued the men and retrieved their jet ski. The Coastguard team helped by transporting the casualties once they were back on shore, and helped load the jet ski onto its trailer.

After a windsurfer was reported missing, Coastguards proceeded to the scene. They spotted a windsurfer matching the description, and guided the lifeboat to his position. The lifeboat crew rescued the man and confirmed that he was the missing windsurfer.

Following a report that two people were stranded on a sandbank opposite the fairground, Coastguards proceeded to the powerboat ramp. Here they found two kayakers, who turned out to be the “stranded” people, safe and well.

Following a report that a kitesurfer had been spotted in trouble off Holme beach, the Coastguard team located the casualty at Old Hunstanton, approximately 500m offshore from the lifeboat station. They helped Hunstanton Lifeboat locate the casualty and bring both him and his rig safely back to shore.

Following a call from Yarmouth Coastguard, Hunstanton Coastguards met the police at Holme Beach to locate and identify two unexploded shells, after which they cordoned off the area. A team from the Royal Navy’s Southern Diving Unit (SDU2) arrived at 14:00 and carried out a controlled explosion at 15:10. One shell was subsequently found to have been filled with high explosive, while the other was inert — but from the outside even the experts can’t always tell the difference. Before returning to Portsmouth, SDU picked up some outdated distress flares that had been handed in to the Coastguard for disposal. If you have flares to dispose of, phone Station Officer Mick Wing on 078 8790 0340.

A 54-year-old Norfolk got into difficulties with a rowing boat and ended up in the water being towed out to sea. The Coastguard team met the ambulance at the scene, by which time the casualty was back on the beach. If he had needed a trip to hospital, the Coastguard vehicle would have been able to transport him to the waiting ambulance, but the paramedics confirmed that this was not necessary.

Coastguards inspected a dead dolphin found on the beach. Whales and dolphins are legally known as “fishes Royal”, and the Coastguard has to carry out certain official duties whenever one is found stranded. The animal’s measurements were faxed to Yarmouth Coastguard, who passed them on to the British Museum.

Two little girls were reported missing but were found safe and well shortly after the Coastguard team arrived. The family was holidaying at Searle’s caravan park.

A Beach Patrol officer reported that a kitesurfer was in trouble. The Coastguard team was paged and was preparing to set out from their base when they were stood down by Yarmouth Coastguard.

A 47-year-old man with learning difficulties was reported missing by a Beach Patrol officer. Coastguards arrived at the Beach Patrol hut but a few minutes afterwards they were told by Yarmouth Coastguard that the man had turned up safe and well at his holiday home.

The Coastguard team was paged after an inflatable boat was spotted in difficulties. A lifeboat attended, but the two occupants of the inflatable reached the shore on their own shortly after the Coastguard vehicle arrived.

Yarmouth Coastguard asked the Hunstanton team to help the crew of an RAF rescue helicopter (“Rescue 125”) land at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. On board was a female casualty with suspected back and head injuries after falling from her horse. Two Coastguards helped the crew locate the landing area and touch down safely, with orange smoke signals on hand to show the wind strength and direction if necessary.

Jet skis reported missing at Heacham were located at Hunstanton, with their riders safe and well.

The crab boat Clare Ann suffered mechanical problems. Coastguard attended to help if required.

A child was reported missing from Searle’s caravan park, but was found safe and well.

The whale (see previous entry) was pronounced dead mid-morning. Hunstanton and Sutton Bridge Coastguard teams helped with media liaison and public safety as people came to view the whale.

A sperm whale became stranded. Hunstanton and Sutton Bridge Coastguard teams ensured public safety while a team from British Divers tried to refloat the whale (see next entry).

A windsurfer got into difficulties and lost his rig, which was recovered by Hunstanton Lifeboat. The Coastguard helped locate the casualty and transport him once the lifeboat had returned him safely to shore.

A fishing boat fouled her propeller. A second fishing vessel towed the casualty into King’s Lynn. The Coastguard oversaw the operation.

A person was reported to have jumped into the river. Despite an extensive search involving five emergency services, nothing was found.

A rigid inflatable (RIB) was drifting with one person aboard after its recovery vehicle broke down on the slipway. Hunstanton Lifeboat recovered the RIB, while the Coastguard recovered the vehicle.

The Coastguard helped Royal Navy bomb disposal experts collect and destroy a number of artillery shells on Holme beach.

A red flare was reported near King’s Lynn. Coastguards checked the area but found nothing. After speaking to the person who made the original report, the Coastguard concluded was that the “flare” must have been inland.

A large dead sperm whale beached near the harbour mouth. Coastguard supplied information to the Natural History Museum and, over the next few days, oversaw public safety as many visitors came to see the whale.