Get prepared before you set out to sea
In the early hours of
this morning Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre received a VHF transmission
from the merchant vessel Morgenstond II, about 30 miles north west of St Ives,
reporting sighting of flares.
The Coastguard Search
and Rescue helicopter from Newquay and the RNLI St Ives Lifeboat were sent
to the area. Before they arrived the Morgenstond II spotted a dismasted
yacht and safely removed the crewman from his vessel and proceeded to its next
port of call, Liverpool.
Tago Mcleod from the UK
Coastguard said,
We highly recommend
anyone going out to sea should invest in the correct communications equipment
including a fixed DSC VHF radio, a back-up VHF radio and ideally a distress
beacon too. In this instance the crewman was lucky a passing vessel
noticed his distress flare and was able to inform us of the situation.
Weather conditions can
change in an instant, always check the weather and tidal conditions before you
set out so that you can prepare accordingly. To help us in locating
you, should you get into difficulty, consider joining the MCA’s voluntary CG66 safety
identification scheme. Always tell someone where you are going and when you
expect to return. Update them if your plans change.’