Two brave volunteers are needed to help carry out vital operations as part of the Cumbrae coastguard rescue team.

The CCRT is currently recruiting two new members, who must stay or work on the island and be able to respond to callouts.

John Wright, who has been on the team for several years, says finding volunteers to join is harder on Cumbrae than anywhere else.

He explained: “Being on the island we have a limited pool of people from which to draw on, as our volunteers need to live over here or spend their working day here.

“The criteria for coastguard is really quite simple but on Cumbrae it is a little more complex due to the nature of the area.

“We currently have a team of seven and if we can get another two during this recruitment window then we will be up to full strength.

“People volunteer for all kinds of reasons and they do come and go, but that’s just part and parcel of how it works.”

Members of the team are all trained in skills including water rescue, mud rescue, emergency casualty care, lost and missing persons searches, pyrotechnics and ordnance response, and 4x4 driving.

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John admits that every day can be something different, and there are no two jobs the same when responding on the island.

He said: “When the buzzer goes off, you can always choose whether you respond or not, as you could be off the island or having a family situation.

“Whenever we get tasked, all members of the team can see who is coming or not and we can make the decision if we have enough people to respond.

“Typical jobs include people needing assistance on watercraft in the summer, and a lot of weather related activity in the winter such as helping with road closures.

“You just never know what is going to happen day to day, and the core skills that we train for help to cover all eventualities.”

Away from callouts, John reveals the team keeps itself busy with training, education and finalising plans for their first home on the island.

He added: “Sometimes we may be less visible than the ambulance, police or fire service but we are still here doing out job.

“A huge part of what we do is educating the island’s young people on water safety, which we hope to build up in the coming years.

“We train on the first Sunday and middle Wednesday of every month, which helps us to stay fresh and keep our skills sharp.

“One of our big plans is to have a permanent home on the island, which is something we’ve been trying to get off the ground for a few years now.”

Anyone interested in joining the team should be aged 18 or above, live or work on Cumbrae, be physically fit, and have a full clean UK driving licence.

To apply, complete the online form for Area 04 at www.gov.uk/volunteer-as-a-coastguard/how-to-apply.  The closing date for applications is September 22.