Why Are We Here?

Last Updated on Tuesday, 29 March 2011 23:52

The formal, and official, way of defining the purpose of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) Worms Head Station is:-

Behind that simple statement, however, lies a broad, interesting, valuable and rewarding activity.

The stretch of coastline on which the Worms Head lookout stands is rightly part of the United Kingdom's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its superb beaches offer everything from safe family spots to surf good enough to attract professionals in the sport. Its sheer cliffs and windswept headlands are a joy to behold and there is a wide range of plant life, a variety of bird species and a mixture of wild and domesticated farm animals. The area also boasts the remains of an Iron Age Fort and a remaining example of medieval strip farming.

It comes as no surprise therefore that a large number of visitors are attracted to the area each year. In fact, the National Trust has calculated that, last year, more than 300,000 people visited the area in which the lookout stands.

Such large numbers create a real potential for accidents ranging from slips and falls on narrow cliff top paths to being stranded on Worms Head itself by the incoming tide.

The combination of sea and people also creates its own potential for danger. Offshore breezes and outgoing tides can turn enjoyable fun with an inflatable mattress into tragedy just as engine failure in a small boat can turn a quiet days fishing into the need for a dramatic rescue.

There are as many potential accidents as there are people in the area and a primary role of the NCI watch keeper is to try to prevent accidents happening by being observant and offering advice where necessary. However, in spite of this, accidents do happen.

The Emergency Services are highly trained and thoroughly professional. Their activities are directed by H M Coastguard from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbles, some 14 miles (22km) to the east of our lookout.  Search and Rescue Services such as the Rhossili Coastguard Rescue Team, the RNLI's Horton Inshore Lifeboat, the RAF's Search and Rescue helicopter and the Air Ambulance helicopter can be on the scene of an accident within minutes of being called by the Coastguard, but first of all the Coastguard has to be made aware that there is a need for the services. It is here that NCI Worms Head plays its second, and major, part.

If an incident requiring the Emergency Services is seen by, or reported to, the NCI watch keepers their task is to gather quickly as much information as possible about the nature of the incident and its exact location. The location is then plotted onto an Admiralty chart or Ordnance Survey map and the details passed immediately to the MRCC. At this point the Coastguard takes control of the incident and the NCI watch keepers resume their watch while continuing to monitor the progress of the incident and react to queries or instructions from the Coastguard.

Acting as the eyes and ears of the emergency services can, in the extreme, mean the difference between life and death but all of the time it means making the place, which offers so much natural beauty, just a little safer for those who come to enjoy it.