South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade Experiences Unprecedented Callout Volume

The South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade, a search and rescue organization established in 1866, has recorded its highest volume of callouts in nearly 160 years of operation. The charity, which comprises volunteers skilled in water and coastal rescue, has responded to 155 incidents to date, marking an increase of 19 compared to the previous year. Honorary secretary Tom Fennelly commented that this record-setting year was “not cause for celebration.” The brigade’s volunteers work alongside the coastguard and offer assistance to all emergency services. Mr. Fennelly recounted an instance where the team was summoned “six times in one weekend” to aid a single individual experiencing distress. He stated, “We respond more and more to people who are clearly in mental distress and we try to point them to best services to get them support.” He reiterated, “It’s been a record-breaking year but it’s not cause for celebration – we just hope there is a happy outcome when we are needed.” Earlier in the current month, brigade crews were deployed to a cliff face to rescue a dog walker who encountered difficulties while trying to save a pet. The coastguard indicated that this incident could “easily have ended in a fatality.” Mr. Fennelly noted that the volunteers come from diverse professional backgrounds and emphasized the ongoing requirement for the “right recruits” within the service. He expressed, “It would be great to see more people keen to join the service.” He concluded by saying, “We always make sure we have a good number of volunteers to respond to callouts but we do need support.”