This evening whilst in the company of a member of NEWSAR team, Bolton MRT experienced team member John Fletcher, our Equipment Officer – Water, and a member of our integral ‘Water Team,’ was requested to join in with the NEWSAR response to a call out to provide specialist MRT support to the flooding situation facing many parts in North Wales, and specifically the Rhyl area.
John’s involvement lasted in to Friday 6th December.
“Information on Thursday night’s flood.”
“NEWSAR had been on standby all day for flooding and were called at 18.30hrs by North Wales Police to assist with a search of properties in the area that was flooded in Kinmel Bay to the west of Rhyl that NWP identified as not being covered by the NWFRS and RNLI operation at the east end of the town.”
“NEWSAR member Gerald sent out a call out message to the Swiftwater Rescue Technician trained team members.”
“NEWSAR member Chris Griffiths contacted Dani Burgess requesting my assistance as he knew I was in the area.”
“11x SRTs from NEWSAR and myself attended with their Control Vehicle and a Land Rover whilst Iain Ashcroft (NEWSARs Team Leader) went direct.”
“Iain arrived on scene and after liaison with NWP and the NWFRS it became apparent that the area we had been tasked to was in fact not particularly badly flooded as it was at low tide and the flooding was receding. So there was no longer a task for NEWSAR.”
“It was identified that an earlier deployment of the team might have been possibly beneficial to assist with evacuations during the initial sea wall breach at high tide (around 1300) but as these taskings (carried out by NWFRS and RNLI) were now coming to a close, a return to base and standby was sent out to the team’ as NWP wanted the team on standby for high tide at 01.00hrs.”
“At 09.30hrs on Friday 6th December, a full stand down was sent as no further flooding occurred.”
