Mountain rescue volunteers and their dogs take on helicopter escape training in South Tyneside
Mountain rescue volunteers from North Yorkshire are some of the first in the country to take part in special emergency escape training
Last updated 5th Dec 2024
Mountain rescue volunteers from North Yorkshire are some of the first in the country to take part in special emergency escape training in South Tyneside.
Charity Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England were in the region on Thursday morning after a call out to the Maritime Offshore Safety Training at South Shields Marine School for help donating essential and potentially life-saving training. The hardworking volunteers, who are on call 24/7 and for 365 days a year undertook bespoke helicopter underwater escape training with three of their mountain rescue volunteers, by experienced trainer Lee Stead and his team.
Maritime and offshore safety trainer Lee Stead said:
“We were contacted by the Mountain Rescue Dog Handlers team, who asked if we could provide some training for them, as they are frequently required to travel to emergency rescue situations via Helicopter and felt it would enhance their chances of survival if the worst was to happen and we wanted to help straightaway. Mountain Rescue are a vital life saving organisation.”
The HUET courses are designed to help train and educate personnel who frequently travel in helicopters over water, giving them the knowledge and skills to be able to escape from a variety of emergency situations. These situations could include landing on water, and escape to a life raft. The training incorporates partial submersion and escape and submersion and capsize escape.
Andy Colau who has trained more mountain rescue dogs than anyone else in the UK said;
“Safety is paramount during Search Dog incidents, and training helps mitigate possible mishaps that might occur during any rescue incident. Since Mountain Rescue Search Dogs and Handlers are sometimes deployed by Coastguard helicopters practical training is one way to ensure better preparedness in the event of a crash onto water. We’re incredibly grateful to South Shields Marine School and their Maritime Offshore Safety Training centre”.
Andy Colau, his colleagues Johnnie Roe and Adam Collinge attended with their rescue dogs Border Collie Kez and Springer Spaniel Sporm.
Located on the riverside at South Shields, Tyne & Wear the Marine Offshore Safety Training Centre trains over 100 companies and over 3000 students a year, designed to emulate the most realistic offshore environment. South Shields Marine School is the oldest marine school in the world.