A SPECIALIST rescue team which is skilled in tackling the treacherous sands of Morecambe Bay will work as an official on-call service for Cumbria Fire and Rescue.

Morecambe Bay Search and Rescue team will assist the county’s fire and coastguard crews with in-shore rescues using tracked vehicles, including a special ambulance and crane.

Over the past 10 years, volunteers have acquired expert skills during rescues in the quicksands, deep channels and unpredictable waters of the bay.

Now Gary Parsons, chair-man of the Flookburgh-based team, has signed an agreement with Chief Fire Officer for Cumbria Dominic Harrison.

Mr Parsons said: “After many years of providing our service on the coast in this area we have realised that we can offer so much further inland.

“The signing of this new memorandum of under-standing between our two organisations is a common sense step in the right direction for the future, making good use of our unique vehicles and skills for the well-being of those who live and visit here”.

“This is a very proud moment for me and the team. For us, it goes some way towards recognition for all that we have achieved in the past.”

Mr Harrison said: “We have done work with the bay rescue team in the past and this formalises our relation-ship, making it clearer as to what we can expect from each other.

“The team have developed some very special skills which we can learn from.

“Their capabilities and experiences on the sands will provide us with a safer working life.”

Early next year, the rescue team will become the first in the country to use a specially adapted £20,000 airboat for emergencies on Morecambe Bay.

Similar to those used by the US Coastguard after Hurricane Katrina, the airboat can travel safely in any depth of water in situations such as quicksand rescues and forest fires.