It has been a busy few weeks for the dedicated teams at HM Coastguard Lowestoft and Southwold.

Lowestoft Journal: HM Coastguard Lowestoft & Southwold officers on Lowestoft beach on Sunday, August 23.HM Coastguard Lowestoft & Southwold officers on Lowestoft beach on Sunday, August 23. (Image: Archant)

And a recent spate of call-outs has prompted key advice from a senior safety officer. On Saturday afternoon the team assisted Suffolk police in helping to find a missing three-year-old girl, close to The Sail Loft on Ferry Road in Southwold. After about 30 minutes, the child was found by a member of the public and reunited with her family.

Last Friday, five coastguard officers were again called to Southwold after reports from the RNLI Lifeguards of a kite surfer in trouble, but as the team arrived at the scene, about 3.30pm, the kite surfer had got out of difficulties and the units were stood down.

At about 7.30pm last Wednesday. August 26, five coastguard officers were called to North Denes in Lowestoft to stretcher a man, believed to be in his early 50s, off the beach and to an awaiting ambulance after he had reportedly passed out.

The biggest operation that the team had been involved in recently included the Lowestoft RNLI Lifeboat, Lifeguards, Lowestoft Volunteer Lifeguards, Suffolk Police, East of England Ambulance and St John Ambulance. On Sunday, August 23 the emergency services responded after a woman was found unconscious on the beach, just before 10.30am. The woman was treated at the scene, and she then reported that her husband was missing and she had last seen him in the sea, so a search was conducted. The team of seven coastguard officers was stood down shortly after as the man was found safe and well.

On Saturday, August 22, six officers were sent to a sunken boat on Lake Lothing shortly after 2pm after reports of children shouting for help. On arrival the children had been taken off the sunken vessel by a nearby barge safety boat.

Andy Sutherland, safety officer, said: 'We do not want kids to play on there as it is not safe to do so. We would urge them to stay away from the boat as they could get themselves into difficulty.'

And on Tuesday, August 18, at about 6.30pm, the team received a call from a sailing boat on the River Waveney saying they had come across a boat struck aground with the persons on board shouting for help. The Coastguard Rescue Teams were tasked to search and locate the boat on the River Waveney between Oulton Broad and Somerleyton.

Mr Sutherland added: 'We are still finding people using hire crafts and boats who are not aware of the dangers of not wearing their lifejackets. We see people on boats and hire cruisers that never seem to wear them.'

He added: 'We are not as busy as last year but were doing a lot more with the police and other emergency services now as we all work together.'

? Do you have a Lowestoft story? Email joe.randlesome@archant.co.uk