THE local Coastguard team have recruited three new crew members - trauma teddies to help comfort youngsters who may have been involved in a traumatic incident.

The team has embraced the use of trauma teddies as used by other partner emergency services around the country, but affectionately named them Claire Bears after the team member’s partner who kindly donated the bears.

A spokesperson for the Ardrossan Coastguard Rescue Team said: “Thankfully traumatic incidents involving children are relatively rare but they do happen and something as simple as a small teddy bear can have a massive positive impact on the situation.

“The Coastguard routinely respond to a wide range of search and rescue emergencies both at the coast and inland. Some of these can be low key and low impact incidents while others can be very traumatic for those involved.

“The Claire Bears may be small but they have big hearts and can really make a difference to a young child who has just experienced or witnessed a traumatic incident at the coast.”

As well as carrying Claire Bears, the team now also routinely carries a small selection of PR material, the majority of it aimed at younger people, to promote coastal safety and highlight the dangers at the coast.

There’s also additional educational material being carried in regards to lifejackets and general boat and water safety, which can be distributed out at an incident once the initial reactive phase of a callout has been completed.