WHEN a split-second decision can mean the difference between life and death, the pressure can be hard to deal with.

Clacton’s volunteer coastguards don’t get paid, but they take pride in their professionalism – including the need to make such decisions on a regular basis.

The coastguard control centre in Walton, which co-ordinates their efforts, may be forced to close because of Government plans to centralise the service, but come what may, Clacton’s volunteer rescue team will carry on.

The Walton centre is the local HQ, but the Clacton rescue team is often the first on the scene and looks likely to be kept busy again this summer.

Station officer Bob Caines, 64, of Hastings Avenue, Clacton, said: “This year has already been busy. Over the Easter weekend, we had eight or nine calls.

“We’re definitely getting busier, year on year. Last year, we had 120 call-outs. This year so far, we’ve had more than 60, and we haven’t yet hit the peak time.

“More people are staying in the UK for holidays, because of the economic climate. The numbers we get here usually depends on the weather, and with it being as hot as it has been, I can only see us continuing to get busier.”

All ten coastguards are volunteers, but the team is confident it can handle whatever is thrown its way.

Mr Caines added: “We have all sorts of people here, from a wide range of jobs and backgrounds.

“We have two teachers, a retired police superintendent, a prison officer, a lorry driver and a foreman in a factory.

“It can be a tough job sometimes. You can be out on your own and a lot of the time you have to make quick decisions, which can mean the difference between life and death.

“We are the guys on the front line. A lot of the time, we can be the first ones on the scene and it can mean a lot of pressure.

“We are all volunteers. All we get is expenses. No one would ever do this for the money, anyway, because there’s no money in it.

“You do it because you get the feeling you are doing your bit for the community. We do it because we enjoy it. We enjoy helping people and solving problems. Whether a call comes in at 3pm or 3am, I like to do my bit.

“Most employers are very understanding of the commitment we have, but sometimes, it can be hard in the daytime when people are at work.”

The job itself could often be hard, too, Mr Caines added, casting his mind back to the case of ten-year-old Stella Akanbi, who drowned in the sea at Clacton in 2009, despite the best efforts of rescue crews.

He added: “There are things that stick in your mind. It’s heartbreaking to put so much into saving someone and come up short.

“Everybody felt that for a few days, with Stella, and some felt it for a lot longer. Of course it affects you, but you just need to learn to deal with it.

“It hits very close to home, especially for the guys with kids. It can be difficult to deal with that sort of thing alongside another job.”

The coastguards are called to deal with everything from windsurfers in trouble, to people stuck in the mud, looking after a huge area, from the Holland Haven mast right down to Colchester.

Before they can join the team, volunteers have to put in six months of training, though the training never really ends.

Mr Caines explained: “We are constantly honing our skills and learning new techniques.

“We look at new search techniques, rescue techniques and interview techniques. We are all trained first-aiders as well.

“We know our area absolutely inside-out. We are responsible for a huge area and need to have a detailed knowledge. We could take people to places no one else even knows about.”

With paid services being affected by cuts, the volunteer-run Clacton coastguards may be one of the few to remain intact.

Fellow volunteer Mark Edwards, 44, of Hastings Avenue, Clacton, spoke of the pride the team had in the job it did.

He said: “We all just want to help. I think we do a good and very important job.”