BARB Search & Rescue

News and information from BARB Search & Rescue in Burnham-On-Sea

BARB (formed as the Burnham Area Rescue Boat in 1992) is a registered charity that operates two life-saving rescue hovercrafts and an inshore rescue boat in the Bridgwater Bay area.

This page provides all the latest BARB charity news, launch reports and fundraising info. Please also follow BARB on Facebook and Twitter

BARB Latest News

A new rescue hovercraft is set to be introduced in Burnham-On-Sea this autumn.

New rescue hovercraft set to be introduced in Burnham-On-Sea this autumn

A new rescue hovercraft is set to be introduced in Burnham-On-Sea this autumn.

VIDEO: Man stranded on catamaran rescued by Burnham Coastguards and BARB hovercrafts

A man stranded on a catamaran surrounded by mud on one of the hottest days of the year has been rescued by Burnham-On-Sea's rescue hovercrafts and Coastguards.

Burnham rescue hovercrafts and Coastguards called to man in river estuary

Burnham-On-Sea’s rescue hovercrafts along with Coastguard teams from Burnham and Weston were called out to help a person seen entering a dangerous muddy river estuary next to Brean Down.

Burnham Coastguards, BARB hovercraft, and RNLI lifeboats called to search for missing children

Burnham-On-Sea's BARB rescue hovercraft, Coastguards and RNLI lifeboats were called out to search for two missing children in Brean on Thursday evening (August 1st).

Burnham rescue crews carry out sand hole collapse exercise on Berrow beach

More than 60 members of Burnham-On-Sea’s rescue services used their bare hands and spades to dig out a ‘casualty’ from sand on Berrow beach during a sand hole collapse exercise this week.

PHOTOS: BARB holds open morning to mark 30 years since hovercraft station was built

Burnham-On-Sea’s rescue hovercraft station was open to the public on Sunday (June 16th) to mark the 30th anniversary of its seafront building being constructed.

BARB to hold open morning to mark 30 years since hovercraft station was built

Burnham-On-Sea’s rescue hovercraft station will be open to the public today (Sunday, June 16th) to mark the 30th anniversary of its seafront building being constructed.

BARB to hold open morning to mark 30 years since hovercraft station was built

Burnham-On-Sea’s rescue hovercraft station will be open to the public on Sunday morning (June 16th) to mark the 30th anniversary of its seafront building being constructed.

Three fundraisers complete 15,000ft sky dive for Burnham-On-Sea charity

Three brave fundraisers from a Brean holiday park have this month completed a sky dive to raise funds for a Burnham-On-Sea charity.

Burnham-On-Sea rescue crews called to six people struggling in beach mud near jetty

Burnham-On-Sea Coastguards and volunteers from BARB Search & Rescue were called out on Monday evening (May 20th) to reports of six people in potential difficulty in beach mud.

Burnham-On-Sea’s BARB takes part in multi-agency exercise to simulate major incident

Police officers, special constables and staff were joined by emergency service, voluntary rescue organisations, and other agencies on Saturday (23rd March) for an exercise simulating a major incident.

Burnham-On-Sea Harriers Running Club presents donation to hovercraft rescue charity BARB

Members of Burnham-On-Sea Harriers Running Club have presented the town's hovercraft rescue charity BARB Search & Rescue with a generous donation.

Santa’s grotto underway at Burnham-On-Sea seafront hovercraft station this weekend

Father Christmas will be making a very special visit to Burnham-On-Sea’s seafront hovercraft station this weekend as he sets up a unique grotto.

Santa’s grotto coming to Burnham-On-Sea seafront hovercraft station this weekend

Father Christmas will be making a very special visit to Burnham-On-Sea’s seafront hovercraft station this weekend as he sets up a unique grotto.

Santa’s grotto coming to Burnham-On-Sea seafront hovercraft station this weekend

Father Christmas will be making a very special visit to Burnham-On-Sea’s seafront hovercraft station this weekend as he sets up a unique grotto.

Blue Ridge Runners motoring group gives £6,200 boost to Burnham’s BARB charity

A group of fundraising motoring enthusiasts has presented over £6,000 to a Burnham-On-Sea charity this week.

PHOTOS: Seafront elf trail in Burnham-On-Sea raises £1,000 for BARB

A festive elf trail held on Burnham-On-Sea seafront has raised £1,000 for Burnham charity BARB Search & Rescue.

Burnham-On-Sea seafront elf trail to be held by town charity today

A fun family elf trail is set to be held on Burnham-On-Sea seafront today (Sunday November 19th), raising funds for Burnham's BARB Search & Rescue.

Burnham-On-Sea seafront elf trail to be held by town charity this Sunday

A fun family elf trail is set to be held on Burnham-On-Sea seafront on Sunday November 19th, raising funds for Burnham's BARB Search & Rescue.
Burnham-On-Sea RNLI lifeboat launching to Stert Island on Sunday evening

Body found on Stert Island near Burnham in search for missing Peter Jeffery, say...

Police say a body has been found on Stert Island in the search for a missing man in the water off Burnham-On-Sea.

Fundraising seafront elf trail set to be held in Burnham-On-Sea

A fun family elf trail is set to be held on Burnham-On-Sea seafront on Sunday November 19th, raising funds for Burnham's BARB Search & Rescue.

Busy year reviewed at Burnham-On-Sea’s BARB Search & Rescue AGM

Dozens of people attended the AGM of Burnham-On-Sea’s rescue hovercraft charity BARB Search & Rescue this week when a busy year of activities was reviewed.

Organisers of Somerset music festival visit Burnham to give local charities a boost

The organisers of a summer music festival in Somerset have visited Burnham-On-Sea to present donations to three charities.

Stuck teen rescued from Brean beach mud by hovercraft and Coastguards

A stranded teenager was rescued from mud on Brean beach last night (Wednesday) by Coastguards and Burnham-On-Sea's rescue hovercraft.

History of the Burnham hovercraft

The story behind Burnham’s ‘Spirit Of Lelaina’ hovercraft

BARB, the group that runs the hovercrafts, was formed in 1992 when it began fundraising for its first rescue craft and own boathouse. In June 1994 Anneka Rice and the BBC TV show Challenge Anneka came to the rescue, building us a boat house on Burnham seafront in just 72 hours!

With the help of a generous grant from The Foundation for Sport And The Arts, plus donations from local businesses, BARB was able to purchase the rest of the equipment it needed in order to become fully operational as a rescue boat service.

Following the tragic death of five year-old Lelaina Hall in the mud at Berrow in 2002, the Western Daily Press launched a hugely successful fundraising campaign which brought in a whopping £115,000.

This funded the purchase of a fully-equipped hovercraft – called The Spirit Of Lelaina – which is now stationed in the boathouse at Burnham. During its first summer of operation it helped and rescued up to 50 people. The Western Daily Press and its readers remain one of the biggest supporters of the service, raising many thousands of pounds towards its operation.

Challenge Anneka team built seafront HQ in just 72 hours!

How BBC’s Anneka Rice built BARB’s hovercraft station…

Anneka Rice in Burnham-On-SeaThe hovercraft station which today houses the Burnham-On-Sea hovercraft was built in a matter of hours in 1994 during a flying visit by Anneka Rice and the crew from the popular BBC TV show Challenge Anneka.

The group behind the Burnham Area Rescue Boat had been formed in 1992 when it began fundraising for its own boat house. In June 1994 Anneka Rice came to the rescue, building a boat house on Burnham-On-Sea seafront in just 72 hours!

The BBC’s TV crew were on hand to record every part of the rapid construction and the final TV show was broadcast on BBC1 a few months later in the prime-time Challenge Anneka show. Click here for the full story and photos.

Burnham's powerful tides in the spotlight on BBC show

BARB helps BBC’s Jeremy Clarkson and ‘Top Gear’

A Toyota Futura was left looking rather worse-for-wear after Jeremy Clarkson and the BBC Top Gear team submerged it in the sea at Burnham in October 2003!

Crew members from the Burnham Area Rescue Boat (BARB) helped the BBC crew put the off-road vehicle through a rigorous challenge by seeing whether the vehicle could survive one of Bridgwater Bay’s notorious storm tides.

The vehicle was parked on the town’s jetty and left to nature’s forces – but, not suprisingly, the sea won and the vehicle failed miserably! The episode was shown on primetime BBC television and helped to demonstrate the danger of the tides along Somerset’s coastline. Click here for the full story and photos.

Hovercraft Background

Facts, figures and photos regarding Burnham-On-Sea’s Spirit Of Lelaina hovercraft:

Technical facts about the hovercraft
Find out how hovercrafts work
Challenge Anneka to the rescue!
Hovercraft Web sites and links

How to contact us

EMERGENCIES: If you need urgent help, CALL 999 and ask for the Coastguard who will summon the hovercraft if needed.

OTHER CONTACTS: Call BARB’s Chairman on 07834 635 797. You can also write to us at: BARB, Marine Rescue Centre, The Esplanade, Burnham, TA8 1BB.

Donate to BARB

BARB is a registered charity that relies solely on donations to run its service. Its annual running costs are over £30,000. Unlike other rescue groups, no-one at BARB is paid – we are all volunteers – so every penny raised is put towards rescues, training and maintaining our equipment. Support us by sending cheques, payable to ‘BARB’, to BARB at Marine Rescue Centre, The Esplanade, Burnham, TA8 1BB. Make regular contributions: You can now download a form here to make regular contributions to BARB. Become a sponsor: Find out who supports and sponsors Burnham’s hovercraft and how you can get involved – here.

How to contact us

EMERGENCIES: If you need urgent help, CALL 999 and ask for the Coastguard who will summon the hovercraft if needed.

OTHER CONTACTS: Call BARB’s Chairman on 07834 635 797. You can also write to us at: BARB, Marine Rescue Centre, The Esplanade, Burnham, TA8 1BB.

Meet Our Crew

Hovercraft lifesavers

Click here to see the Burnham hovercraft team

BARB Sponsors

Hovercraft sponsors

See a full list of the companies and groups that help BARB – click here

BARB Merchandise

Help support BARB by buying our official merchandise, such as pens, mugs, postcards and more, from Burnham Tourist Information Centre on the town’s seafront. It’s open throughout the year.

Facts & Figures

Learn more about the capabilities of the Burnham-On-Sea hovercraft:

Facts and figures about the Spirit of Lelaina

Beach Safety

The beaches at Burnham-On-Sea, Brean and Berrow are among Britain’s most scenic coastal areas, but there are dangers here too. Take note of these tips:

Beach guide and safety advice for visitors

Photos

Hovercraft photo gallery

Click here for photos of the Burnham hovercraft