A ‘patient’ was winched to safety in a huge exercise at Coate Water tonight (Friday).
Dozens of water rescue specialists from various organisations came together for a large-scale training operation in Swindon from around 6.30pm.
Wiltshire Search and Rescue, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, Severn Area Rescue Association and Avon Fire and Rescue Service were just four of the teams involved.
The HM Coastguard hovered over the lake as volunteers and firefighters carried out searches and what would be life-saving rescues on the banks of the 56-acre reservoir.
At shortly after 8pm, the helicopter lowered towards Coate’s famous and newly refurbished diving board – winching a person on board before landing near the play area to offload them.
Several fire appliances, including Swindon’s aerial ladder platform, were in attendance for the event. Charities Wessex 4×4 Response and Serve On were attending.
In an earlier statement, Wiltshire Search and Rescue said: “On Friday evening (10/11), multiple emergency services will be running an exercise in the Swindon area, practicing an evacuation and establishing a rest centre.
“There will be a large number of specialist emergency services vehicles present in the town, but this should be no cause for concern.”
