'Hero' coastguard was in no-win situation
Health & Safety experts Mhl Support have admitted that the hero coastguard who resigned this week after he was criticised for breaching H&S regulations to save a teenager’s life had been in a ‘no-win’ situation.
Paul Waugh, aged 44, was hailed a hero and given an award after he clambered down a cliff in gale-force winds to prevent a 13-year-old girl falling 300 feet, but he resigned this week after being criticised for breaching health and safety rules.
The volunteer coastguard gave up his post due to ‘immense pressure’ from Bridlington Coastguard.
He was paged to attend a cliff top in Brotton, Cleveland, last January, where Faye Harrison was clinging to tufts of grass as the cliff edge crumbled away. He clambered down to her without safety equipment and held her until the RAF helicopter rescued them 30 minutes later.
Mhl support, who advise companies throughout the UK on Health & Safety issues, compared the case to that of the case in Wigan last May when two community support police officers refused to enter a pond to rescue 10-year-old Jordan Lyon when he got into difficulty saving his younger sister, because they had not been trained. The boy drowned.
Marc Schroder, CEO of mhl support, said: “This is a highly emotive situation; young people’s lives are at stake and professionals almost find themselves in a no-win situation.
“If they follow procedure, like the officers in the Wigan case did, and the person you are attending dies, you face a huge public backlash. If you disregard the rules and act alone, you face disciplinary action or criticism; whatever the outcome.
“In the case of Paul Waugh, he took an enormous risk. The coastguards summoned to the scene could not get access to their rescue vehicle, which held harnesses and ropes, because of a locked gate, and Mr Waugh took the decision to act immediately, alone, than battle back to the van for the necessary equipment because he felt there was not time,” he added.
“While there is no disputing that his actions were very brave, and did indeed save her life, he did endanger his own life and safety as well, which is what every company has an obligation to avoid.
“This is one of those cases, because Faye survived, that people will argue until they are blue in the face. While it is wonderful that both Faye and Mr Waugh survived, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency cannot be seen to condone this kind of independent action.”
