HM Coastguard

Did you know that among its fleet of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, HM Coastguard also operates an Emergency Towing Vessel? The Ievoli Black is a 70-metre Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) that fulfils the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s requirement to provide a single large ocean-going towing vessel that can respond to maritime emergencies. The 2,283-tonne UK-flagged vessel operates to the north and west of Scotland and can tow ships in distress out of danger, reducing the possibility of a ship casualty becoming a hazard to safe navigation, or at risk of vessel grounding, which could result in cargo or oil pollution.  Ievoli Black can also undertake other duties, such as salvage support, firefighting, search and rescue incident support and can assist with the agency’s counter pollution response.  HM Coastguard’s ETV service, which has been run for more than 20 years, underlines the UK Government’s commitment to protecting the marine environment, particularly in challenging...

A fine Sunday afternoon and the deceptively calm waters at Carlingford Lough in Northern Ireland seemed like the perfect day for two boys to enjoy one of their regular trips out on their paddleboard. But the wind and the strong currents had less than perfect ideas and the young brothers were quickly swept far out to sea as their anxious parents were forced to watch, wait and hope….   The Kilkeel Coastguard Rescue Team assembled at the Lough that afternoon to keep eyes on the drifting casualties, working closely with Kilkeel RNLI to get the brothers to safety The two brothers, aged 8 and 11, set off from their regular sheltered spot on Sunday 21 September, watched by their dad. But as they got a little further out, the breeze picked up shockingly quickly and because it was blowing from the shore out to sea (offshore wind) together with a strong current heading in the same direction, they were soon in d ifficulties .    Mum Sarah (name changed for privacy purposes) ...

Meet Your Coastguard takes us around the United Kingdom, meeting the ordinary volunteers who do extraordinary work to keep us and our coastline safe. Why did you join HM Coastguard? Michelle Fitt joined St Ives Coastguard Rescue Team as a Coastguard Rescue Officer in 2018 after seeing a recruitment advert online.  She said: “I’ve always been running on coastal paths, and I’ve always been on the water gig rowing or paddleboarding, so I knew how vital the coastguard’s work was in our local area.”  “Volunteering felt like the perfect way to give something back to my community, while learning new skills and being part of something that really matters.” What is the most unusual incident you have attended? “It always makes me smile to think of when we were tasked to an individual on rocks, which wasn’t unusual, but when we were told we were looking for ‘King’, it wasn’t what we were expecting!” says Michelle.  “Thankfully, the individual was absolutely fine, but it’s not every ...

Brothers Roger and Terry have dedicated over 40 years to HM Coastguard. Get to know their journey from how it all began to their work today. “I guess I was always destined to join Beer Coastguard Rescue Team”  – Roger Roger and his brother Terry were lucky to grow up in the village of Beer, located on the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast in Devon. As children, they would race up to Beer Head, eager to watch Beer Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) in action.  At the time, Beer CRT used a rocket and breeches buoy system, a rope-based method that brought seafarers safely to shore from stranded ships. Roger and Terry would later remember this as one of their earliest memories of the Coastguard.  Years later, Roger married Lynne, whose father, Ron Russell, coincidentally was the Station Officer at Beer CRT. Inspired by Ron’s example, both Roger and Terry eventually followed him into the team.  Soon after joining Beer CRT, Roger and Terry visited the Maritime Rescue Coordina...

Meet Your Coastguard takes us around the United Kingdom, meeting extraordinary people who save lives at sea and on the coast. Why did you join HM Coastguard? After studying Composition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Joel’s path as a musician took a turn after a change in circumstances led him towards a new opportunity at HM Coastguard.  Without any prior maritime experience, it was the satisfaction of knowing he’d make a difference that sent the budding bugler towards a Watch Assistant role at Great Yarmouth Coastguard.  Joel jokes: “When I applied, I had to put ‘have read Swallows and Amazons’ down under Previous Experience, but the role looked and felt achievable and important, so I leapt at the chance.” Swiftly sharpening his maritime knowledge and skills by volunteering for 12 months as a Coastguard Rescue Officer for Lowestoft Coastguard Rescue Team, Joel soon developed the experience and skills needed for a new operations role in Wales.  “I moved ...