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Published:
August 4th, 2007
Crowds
flock to Burnham-On-Sea's
annual emergency
services day
Click
here for full ESCAPE Day photo coverage in our gallery
 A
crowd of around 3,000 people flocked to Burnham seafront on Saturday
(August 4th), when more than a dozen emergency services from across
Somerset gathered for a joint safety awareness day.
The
fourth annual ESCAPE Day, the Emergency Services Community Awareness
and Promotion Event, included a wide range of demonstrations and
displays and gave the public an opportunity to find out more about
the life-saving work of the organisations.
Among
those taking part were Burnham Coastguards, Avon and Somerset
police, Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, St John Ambulance, the
BARB hovercraft group and the RNLI. Other groups involved were
Skywatch rescue micro lights, Freewheelers Blood Bikes, Somerset
4x4 response and Burnham lifeguards.
 The
day was opened by BARB President Neville Jones and Burnham's town
crier, Fred Smith.
A
few minutes later, a maroon was fired to herald the arrival of
lifeboats from Barry Dock and Weston-Super-Mare, who were joined
by Burnham's lifeboats and two hovercrafts in a flotilla passing
Burnham.
Later,
dramatic explosions onboard a yacht marked the start of the RNLI's
rescue demonstration, where a jet ski and yacht accident led to
both lifeboats launching to help retrieve several casualties.
Coastguards
took the casualties by stretcher to a waiting St John Ambulance
on the jetty where the crew gave first aid.
 Later
in the afternoon, a drift exercise saw several RNLI crewmembers
who were dressed in flotation suits drift down the channel on
the falling tide to demonstrate how dangerous the fast-flowing
currents can be.
Burnham
RNLI's Deputy Launch Authority, Ricky Holmes, provided a commentary
over the PA system for the watching spectators along the seafront.
The
final demonstration of the day involved the Coastguard Mud Rescue
Team and both The Spirit Of Lelaina and Light of Elizabeth hovercrafts
simulating a dramatic mud rescue near the town's jetty. Commentary
was provided by Steve Bird, Burnham's Coastguard Station Officer.
 A
tug of war held during the afternoon (pictured right) saw Burnham's
RNLI crew beat the BARB team and then go on to beat the Coastguard
team to claim the overall first prize. (See full photo coverage
here).
Vehicles
from each service were on display and fundraising merchandise
was also available on several stalls.
BARB,
the group that operates Burnham's rescue hovercrafts, organised
the event, having successfully launched it in 2004. This year's
event was held during the middle of the town's regatta.
Spokesman
Roger Flower said: "It's been a very successful day all around.
The crowds have met the crews from our local emergency services
and seen at first hand how they help people along our coastline."
Click
here to see more photos in our photo gallery
RELATED
LINKS:
Burnham-On-Sea
Hovercraft
Burnham-On-Sea
RNLI
Burnham-On-Sea
Coastguard
2004
ESCAPE Day
2005
ESCAPE Day
2006
ESCAPE Day
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