Charmouth NCI has experienced a busy start to 2024, with three incidents involving dog walkers stuck in mud.

It is one of 60 National Coastwatch lookouts currently in operation around the coast of England and Wales and situated in an old Napoleonic-era lookout situated behind the Cafe at Charmouth Beach.

The nearest lookout to Axminster, Charmouth NCI, have reported three incidents recorded during January.

On Friday, January 19 a member of the public reported to the NCI that there was a female swimmer in the sea and unable to return to the beach owing to an undertow created by the waves on their return out to sea. Following a call from Charmouth NCI to Solent Coastguard both the ILB from Lyme Regis and the Coastguard Helicopter from St Athan were mobilised. Fortunately, the swimmer was helped ashore by a fellow swimmer and the emergency assets were stood down.

Two days later three dog walkers and their dogs were cut off by the tide at Black Venn. One of the walkers had sustained a broken ankle. All casualties were lifted from the beach by Coastguard helicopter and the injured walker was transferred to a land ambulance in a Charmouth car park.

The following Friday a couple of dog walkers reported to the lookout that they had seen a flare on the beach to the east of Charmouth car park. Its exact location was obtained and reported to the Coastguard. A local Coastguard CRT from West Bay was despatched to Charmouth and the live Flare, with an expiry date of 14 years ago was removed for safe disposal.

Charmouth NCI currently operates two shifts a day on five days a week and one shift on the remaining two days.

If anyone is interested in volunteering as a watchkeeper please make contact by email on lyme.bay@nci.org.uk