HM Coastguard

HM Coastguard received a call from a member of the public shortly after 1am today (30 th May) saying that a man had come ashore in a small inflatable tender at Chapmans Pool, Dorset.  T he man explained that his 11m single mast sailing yacht had been wrecked and there was no one else on board. The man was passed into the care of the ambulance service and taken to hospital to be checked over. Swanage, St Albans Head Coastguard Rescue Teams and Swanage RNLI lifeboat were sent to search the area and the yacht was found aground on rocks. Dorset Council and the Environment Agency have been informed along with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s Counter Pollution Team who will continue to monitor the situation.

HM Coastguard has been assisting Devon and Cornwall Police with a search in the Falmouth area for a missing person.  Happily, the search has now ended after the man was found a short distance inland.  The search began on Wednesday and rescue units involved over the last 25 hours included Coastguard rescue teams from Falmouth, Porthleven, Porthoustock and Portscatho along with Falmouth RNLI inshore lifeboat and the Coastguard rescue helicopter from Newquay, assisting Devon & Cornwall Police.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency begins a second public consultation today (29 May) on proposed new technical requirements for domestic passenger ships. The planned changes aim to make sure older ships more closely match the safety standards of newer vessels. Feedback on the initial consultation has been used to modify the proposals in the areas relating to lifejacket provision, fire safety and the vessels in scope of damage stability requirements. Industry, operators and the public are encouraged to participate in the consultation. You can take part by visiting the Policy Papers and Consultations page of  www.gov.uk .

An injured paraglider was airlifted from a Glencoe mountain after crashing on Monday afternoon (27 May). Photo credit: Ian Mcconnell, Glencoe MRT  HM Coastguard’s UK Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) received a call from Police Scotland at 4:30pm requesting the assistance of a helicopter to rescue the 36-year-old man, who had been able to call 999 following the crash. He reported that he had crashed on ‘Creag Dubh’ and had injuries to his left foot, right ankle and elbow.   Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team (MRT)   and HM Coastguard Search and rescue helicopter based at Inverness went to the scene. The man was winched onboard the helicopter and was transferred to Torlundy landing site where he was transferred into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service for onward transfer to Belford hospital in Fort William.   George Baird, Captain from HM Coastguard Inverness helicopter said “This job was challenging due to the steep ground a...

Taken before the ballast transfer earlier this morning Photo credit: RNLI/Daniel Whiteley  The 'MSC Matilde' is safe and on an even keel after listing earlier this morning in Gladstone Dock on the River Mersey. HM Coastguard was contacted by Peel Ports VTS at around 2.25am today (24 May) to report that the 'MSC Matilde  was listing.  The general cargo vessel was reported to have 2,184 containers onboard, the majority of which were empty. Crosby Coastguard Rescue Team and the RNLI Hoylake all weather lifeboats were sent to the scene, two tugs and a tier 2 pollution response vessel were also on standby as a precautionary measure.  The MCA’s Duty Counter Pollution & Salvage Officer, Duty Surveyor and the Marine Accident Information Board (MAIB) and the Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime, Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) have all been informed.  The 23 crew, who were safe and well,  were taken off the ship as a pr...

Two young men have been safely rescued after getting stuck on the cliffs at Pwll Llong, near Abercastle. On Wednesday afternoon just before 5.30pm HM Coastguard received a 999 call from the men reporting they were in difficulty after attempting to climb up the cliff. HM Coastguard sent in the St Davids and Fishguard Coastguard Rescue Teams, St Davids RNLI Lifeboat and the St Athan Coastguard helicopter to assist.  Both men were safely winched off the rocks by the helicopter and taken to safety.  Despite their ordeal they were uninjured. SAFETY ADVICE By following these few simple  safety  tips you can keep yourself out of harm’s way on the coast….  Make sure that you are properly equipped for walking along coastal paths. In particular remember to wear sturdy shoes or boots and check the weather forecast and tidal times before you set out. Carry a fully charged mobile phone, and tell someone where you are going and what time you will be home. Only...

HM Coastguard has been coordinating a search and rescue operation after a personal locator beacon was activated around 6.50am today (21 May) in the Truro area. The PLB was registered and HM Coastguard have made contact with the vessel owners, who are safe and well. However, they confirmed the PLB, attached to a lifejacket, is not with the vessel, so a search is taking place to try to establish whether the PLB has been triggered by someone else. Falmouth and St Agnes Coastguard Rescue Team, RNLI Falmouth inshore and all weather lifeboats and HM Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter have been involved with carrying out a search of the area. HM Coastguard is appealing to anyone who might have triggered the PLB accidentally this morning  to come forward and let the Coastguard know they are safe and well. J ames Instance, Duty Controller for HM Coastguard said:  ‘We believe the PLB might have been triggered accidentally or there’s a possibility th...

HM Coastguard and the Military Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team are currently on scene at Beachy Head dealing with a possible unexploded shell that was discovered yesterday. Just before 8:50pm yesterday (19 May) HM Coastguard received a call from a member of the public reporting the suspected shell halfway between Belle Tout Lighthouse and Belle Tout layby.  The photographs were immediately sent to the EOD team.   The shell is approximately 3 inches wide and 12 inches long. Eastbourne and Birling Gap Coastguard Rescue Teams have set up a cordon around the ordnance restricting public access as a precautionary measure.    The EOD team arrived on scene this morning and are planning a controlled explosion at low tide later this evening.  HM Coastguard is advising people to keep at a safe distance until it has been declared safe by the EOD team. UPDATE - The EOD team have inspected the device again and declared it a safe ...

Emergency services and front-line organisations have been testing out how they would respond to a major incident. The multi-agency exercise took place at Hurst Castle, Milford on Sea in Hampshire. The scenario was based on a fire having affected three floors of the main keep of the castle, which stands at the end of a 1.5 mile long shingle spit. There were also ‘casualties’ on all the floors who would need to be rescued. HM Coastguard co-ordinated the exercise, which was designed to test how all the emergency services would work together, particularly f ocusing on responding to an incident in a remote and inaccessible location . Given the logistical challenges of accessing the castle via the shingle spit, HM Coastguard was assisted by the Hurst Castle Ferry in the deployment of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) to fight the fire, to find the ‘casualties’ and rescue them. HFRS were swiftly followed by South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) and SCAS’s H...

Explosives experts have been called in after a suspected sea mine was picked up by a fishing vessel off the Needles, Isle of Wight. The incident happened just after 8am today (18 May) when the fishing vessel reported catching the seven foot long ordnance in its nets about a mile off Needles. HM Coastguard called in the Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team who headed out to the scene. Warning broadcasts were issued to vessels in the area and Needles Coastguard Rescue Team went to the area for reasons of public safety. Duty controller Piers Stanbury said: ‘From what we can tell from the pictures and the information from the EOD, this is most likely an old German wartime sea mine.' The mine is due to be destroyed by the EOD team who are on site . 

Pictured from left to right:  HM Coastguard Winchman Mark 'Spike' Hughes, Reegan Green and Mike Sharp. Credit Raw Format Ltd During an emotional evening, the crew members and owner of the Brixham fishing vessel ‘Emilia Jayne’ have been honoured at the Fishing News awards with the first ever HM Coastguard ‘Life Saver Award’. Crew member Reegan Green and owner Mike Sharp attended the ceremony held in Aberdeen last night (16 May) and accepted the new award, on behalf of the ‘Emilia Jayne’ crew, from HM Coastguard Winchman Mark ‘Spike’ Hughes who helped save Reegan Green when he was washed off the vessel in a treacherous sea.  Presenting the award, HM Coastguard Winchman Spike Hughes said: “Through quick thinking and bold leadership, the Skipper, Jay Holden and crew member Luke Selvey helped HM Coastguard save Reegan that night, and through their actions are commended in keeping with the highest traditions of the fishing brotherhood. This award has been specially cr...

HM Coastguard is investigating reports of possible pollution at Osborne Bay on the Isle of Wight this morning (15 May). A number of people have contacted HM Coastguard saying they have seen what looks like foam coming ashore. Ventnor and Bembridge Coastguard Rescue Teams have been sent to investigate, take samples and report back. Duty controller Phil Norman said: ‘At this stage we are in the early part of an investigation to see what it is and see whether further action needs to be taken.’

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the wider industry will be looking to build on the autonomous cargo run that has taken place across the North Sea.   It’s all part of a long-term plan to look at how autonomous ships can best be regulated and is being worked on by the MCA, via the  MARLab  project funded by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy     In the past few days a remotely operated vessel has made the crossing from West Mersea to Oostende and back.    Dr Katrina Kemp is the Smart Shipping and Automation Policy Officer for the MCA.    She said: ‘We’re working with the industry to look at how best we can regulate autonomous vessels in UK waters. This cargo run was a great opportunity to look at how the vessel would perform in what is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.    ‘This has all sorts of possibilities for the future of shipping in terms of reducing carbon...

A man who fell overboard from his vessel has been rescued from the water earlier today.   Just after 10am today (12 May) HM Coastguard received several 999 calls from members of the public reporting a person in the water in difficulty, who had fallen overboard from his vessel off the coast of Pwll Deri, near Strumble Head.  The man’s vessel was reported to be out of control circling around him.   Fishguard Coastguard Rescue Team, RNLI lifeboats and the Caernarfon Coastguard helicopter were all sent to the scene.  A Mayday relay broadcast was also issued by HM Coastguard asking nearby vessels for assistance.   Several fishing vessels responded to the Mayday and one of those vessels nearby was able to pull the man from the water.  He was transferred onto the Fishguard Lifeboat and then winched onboard the Coastguard helicopter, for onward transfer into the care of the Welsh Ambulance Service.  The man was able to confirm that he was the o...

  The sea wall where the incident occurred.  Credit Lowestoft Coastguard Rescue Team A local teenage boy is being hailed a hero this afternoon after going to his friend’s aid after he fell 15ft from a promenade wall near Ness Point, Lowestoft. The young teenage boy kept his friend alive by lifting his head above the water as the tide quickly came in. The incident unfolded just after 2.30pm today (11 May) when a teenage boy who was cycling on the sea wall, fell off the wall into the sea below. The teenager was in immediate danger of his head going under the water, so his friend jumped down to lift his head above the rising sea, whilst they waited for the emergency services to arrive. Lowestoft and Gorleston  Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI Lowestoft, Suffolk Police, Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service and  the East England Ambulance Service as well as the East Anglian Air Ambulance  all raced to the scene. Two...

Copyright Kensington Palace The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been visiting the HM Coastguard search and rescue base at Caernarfon, North Wales. Their Royal Highnesses have been meeting with crew members and their family, many of whom they knew when the Duke worked as a search and rescue pilot at RAF Valley between 2010 – 2013. In 2015, search and rescue air operations transferred to HM Coastguard with Caernarfon one of ten new bases opening. The Duke and Duchess had an opportunity to see the Sikorsky S92 helicopters, and meet members of the current search and rescue team, many of whom worked alongside the Duke during his time at RAF Valley. The Duke and Duchess heard about the support provided to promote mental health and wellbeing by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and its SAR partners. Damien Oliver, Aviation Programme Director at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said: 'As a former search and rescue pilot, His Royal Highness understands the...

HM Coastguard received a call at around midnight on 5 May from a man saying he and two other men had fallen down a cliff at Porthleven and they required assistance. Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre coordinated the rescue and Porthleven, Penzance and Mullion  Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI Lizard all weather lifeboat, a HM Coastguard Area Commander and HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Newquay were sent to the scene, along with South Western Ambulance Service and Devon and Cornwall Police. The Coastguard helicopter also transferred three critical care paramedics from Cornwall Air Ambulance based at Newquay airport, to provide additional support with the casualties at the scene. In the darkness and with the tide coming in at the base of the cliff, the man that called the Coastguard was able to use the torch on his mobile to help identify their exact location. The helicopter was able to transfer the critical care paramedics and several Coas...

Two adults and four children rescued from cliff at Putsborough Sands, Devon, yesterday (4 May) after becoming cut off by the tide.   HM Coastguard received a 999 call at around 4.10pm from a member of the public reporting that they could see six people around 40ft up the cliff. Although the group were showing no obvious signs of being in any distress, with the tide fast coming in, it appeared that they had no way to get to safety and would require assistance. Croyde and Mortehoe Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI Appledore Inshore lifeboat attended the scene to help the people to safety.  HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at St Athan was also called in to assist and, with the RNLI lifeboat remaining on scene to provide safety cover, all six people were winched off the cliff. The helicopter then landed at the top of the cliff to drop them off the with the waiting Coastguard rescue teams, where they were all confirmed to be safe and well with no injuri...

Image caption: Inverness SAR crew members  Captain Simon Hancock and Tom Greene INVERNESS’ HM Coastguard search and rescue (SAR) helicopter base has welcomed two Leonardo AW189 helicopters, serving the Highlands and Islands and further afield as part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s airborne response. The aircraft replace two Sikorsky S92 helicopters, which have been in active service out of Inverness since 2015. Each £20 million AW189 helicopter, painted in red and white HM Coastguard colours, is operated by Bristow Helicopters Limited, on behalf of HM Coastguard. The Coastguard base at Inverness is the fifth and final location in the UK to fly this new model of helicopter for SAR missions, following Lydd and Lee-on-Solent on the south coast, St Athan in Wales, and Prestwick in central Scotland. The Leonardo AW189 is the latest generation helicopter in its category and is designed to meet long-range, high endurance requirements for search and ...