As the Coastguard, we're happy to miss sleep for 1am call-outs if it means we get to help someone
“We wouldn't recommend being a Coastguard Rescue Officer to people who need a lot of sleep to function!”
The Coastguard at Lytham has highlighted the demanding reality of life as a volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officer, sharing a glimpse of the disruption to sleep caused by repeated call-outs.
The team said the reality of being a volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officer could be seen by looking at their ring doorbells - according to the Coastguard, one recent night began with a call-out at 1am.
The team returned 40 minutes later, only to be tasked again three minutes afterwards to a different incident. They finally returned at 3.45am, leaving time to get some sleep before heading to work for the day.
A second series of call-outs took place the following night, beginning with an incident just before 7pm. After completing the job, the team carried out a station tidy-up before heading home at 8.25pm. Just two minutes later, they were called out again to another tasking.
After spending just under an hour at the job, the team headed home, but were only there for an hour before being called out to another tasking. They were stood down on arrival and were then able to return home.
Lytham Coastguard said: “We wouldn't recommend being a Coastguard Rescue Officer to people who need a lot of sleep to function! We love what we do and are more than happy to miss out on a bit of sleep if it means we get to help someone.”