On Saturday 10 June
Guides from 1st & 2nd Downham Market met under a
rather overcast sky in Hunstanton.
Our first stop was the
Washmonster. The Washmonster is an amphibious vehicle which was used in the
Vietnam War and originally cost £1 million! It was a little choppy, but
we all got to see just how wonderful the Hunstanton cliffs look as well as
watching the Kite Surfers.
Once back on dry land
we walked onto the green above the cliffs for our much needed lunch. By now
the weather was glorious and out came the sun cream. While on the green the
girls were reminded about how to put someone in the recovery position, how to
help someone if they were in shock. This was all part of their WaterSafety
badge.
Back on our feet, we
walked to the Lifeboat station in Old Hunstanton. We were a little early for
our session so all the girls had some time playing on the sand. By now it was really
hot! And we were glad to get into the shade of the Lifeboat Station.
The Lifeboat crew were
all fantastic and showed the girls the hovercraft (one of only four in the
country) and the Lifeboat. The Guides then went to watch a video of a real life
rescue. The rescue took place at Brancaster beach involving young people
getting caught out as the tide came in.
The Guides took part in
numerous activities, including how to look out for danger when they are in the
water or on a beach, what the flags on the beach mean, how to attract attention should they become cut off, how to assist
someone who is in the water, how to throw a line to someone. The session ended with a race between two of
the crew and Bo, to see who could get dressed in all the kit ready for a rescue
the quickest. Bo almost won, but she did have an extra pair of hands and had
less kit to get into!! The Guides then presented a cheque to the RNLI which is entirely funded through donations.
A huge thank you to all
the lifeboat crew for a really excellent session, and also to the girls who
never moaned once, even walking all that way in the heat.
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