HM Coastguard

Station Officer Steve Mee receiving his award from British Citizen Awards Patron, Bradley Walsh Copyright:  British Citizen Awards An HM Coastguard Station Officer for Liverpool and Crosby Coastguard Rescue Team has been awarded a prestigious British Citizen Award for service to the community, marking his 38 loyal years with HM Coastguard. Steve Mee was presented the award at UK Parliament House last week (26 January) after he was nominated for the honour by his UK Coastguard Rescue Team colleagues.  Speaking of his nomination they said:  ‘ Steve has given so much of his time to the service as well as holding down a full time job and having a family.   He has been so encouraging and supportive to team members throughout the changes the Coastguard have been through in recent times.    He has a wealth of knowledge, and his fundamental aim is to provide the best possible rescue service to the community by passing on his knowledge and enthu...

Pictured left to right: Petty Officer Aircrewman Alan Speed and Lt Cdr Richard Lightfoot Copyright:  Press Association An HM  Coastguard winchman paramedic who risked his life to save the lives of ten passengers trapped in a bus during Storm Frank has been awarded the highly coveted Queen's Gallantry Medal.  Petty Officer Aircrewman Alan Speed who is now based at HM Coastguard, Inverness, was presented the award by Prince Charles for his incredible bravery  in a heavily flooded river in Dailly, South Ayrshire  on 30 December 2015.  The area had suffered severe flooding in the aftermath of Storm Frank and the bus was in a precarious position and nearly flooded. The difficulty of the rescue was compounded by overhanging trees. The crew of HMS Gannet SAR Flight 177 - which was on its  second last day of operational ser vice - also received prestigious awards.  Lt Richard Lightfoot Royal Navy received the Air Force Cross, Lt Cdr Martin La...

Swanage and St Albans Coastguard Rescue Team practicing their rope rescue set up at Peveril Point Winter training for the Coastguard means getting out in pretty nasty weather so we know what to expect when the call comes in. Last night was no different for the St Albans and Swanage Coastguard Rescue Teams  who braved the chill factor so they could practice their rope rescue set up at Peveril Point. On this occasion they didn't put anyone over the cliff but rehearsed the complete operation incl uding setting up the hold fasts and agreeing a method of recovery - in other words treating the exercise as 'real' right to the point of going over. In fact, it was only a month ago on a cold December evening that the teams carried out a clifftop rescue of five university students at Guillemot Ledge who had got stuck and were unable to move any further whilst rock climbing. We've just heard that the team have received a letter of congratulations from their MP and we couldn...

Yesterday our UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Newquay flew through heavy fog, 30 knot winds and over rough seas to reach an unwell fisherman on a French fishing vessel south west of the Isles of Scilly.  The call for help came into the UK Coastguard at around 3pm and plans were put in motion to airlift the fisherman to hospital. Our Helicopter Captain Yogi Brunner said that there was a 150ft cloud base and only 1/2 mile visibility from the cockpit as they flew 106 nautical miles west, south west from Newquay to reach the vessel in 45 minutes.  The fisherman was winched on board and taken back to the Newquay base where he was met by the South Western Ambulance Service  and taken to the Treliske Hospital. We wish him a speedy recovery.

 Left: UK Coastguard AW189 helicopter and Yarmouth RNLI Lifeboat in action  taken by the Coastguard Jetstream 41 aircraft Right: UK Coastguard AW189 in action with Yarmouth RNLI Earlier today, for the first time, the new AW189 Coastguard helicopter and the trial Coastguard Jetstream aircraft came through their ‘water baptism’ after participating in ‘Exercise Top Cover’ – a coordinated, joint training exercise with the Yarmouth RNLI to test the search and rescue capabilities of the two new aircraft off the Isle of Wight coast. To make the exercise as realistic as possible, one of the RNLI training vessels from Poole pretended they had a fire on board and made a MAYDAY call to the UK Coastguard without giving its exact location.  They also released a flare to indicate they were in distress.  As the Coastguard Jetstream was being put to the test to locate the vessel, the new AW189 Coastguard helicopter was also sent to the area, in readiness to rescue those on b...

Earlier this week, UK Coastguard received reports of a possible distressed humpback whale west of Lewis, Scotland. As luck would have it our UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Stornoway was out training in the area and managed to spot the whale’s location and take this incredible footage. We immediately informed British Divers Marine Life Rescue​, sent them the footage and they sent trained volunteers to the area to help the whale.  From the footage there was some concern that the tail was not surfacing and may have been entangled in something as there had reports of a possible entangled whale received earlier that day.  After finding the whale, the volunteers from BDMLR’s  Large Whale Disentanglement Team stayed with the whale and reported that it was swimming strongly and lifting its tail above the water.   There was no reason to be further concerned and so the team returned back to mainland Scotland. Another great example of multi-agency wor...

A volunteer from Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team reviews the damage after a tidal surge. Credit Chris Evans This time last weekend, many of our Coastguard Rescue Teams were dealing with the aftermath of tidal surges across the coast. We were out in full force supporting the Police, Fire and Mountain Rescue Teams to ensure the safety of people in flood risk areas.  Our teams faced challenging and often atrocious conditions and this is a massive shout out to all our volunteers, the emergency services and Mountain Rescue Teams working last weekend and this weekend to always keep you safe.  Tony Garbutt UK Coastguard Coastal Area Commander for the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex area said:  “With severe weather warnings last weekend, all precautions were taken to ensure the safety of those living and working on the coast.  Our Coastguard Rescue Teams from Mundsley and Happisburgh, Hemsby, Lowestoft, Gorlestone, Clacton, Mersey, Walton and Winte...

FOOTAGE JUST IN - UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Stornoway rescuing an unwell captain from a fishing vessel 80nm north of Stornoway. The crew contacted UK Coastguard at about 1.30pm yesterday (19 January) and plans were set in motion to airlift the captain as soon as possible. Although the sea conditions were rough, the Captain informed us that the vessel crew were well organised which meant that the winch job went quickly and smoothly. 

At about 9.30 today the St Faith Wight Link car ferry contacted the UK Coastguard reporting a fire on their bridge wing port side.  When the call was made, the vessel was on route from Portsmouth to Fishbourne, Isle of Wight.   The vessel is now alongside the ferry terminal in Fishbourne.  UK Coastguard immediately sent the Bembridge Coastguard Rescue Team, Cowes RNLI Lifeboat, Isle of Wight Fire Service and the Hampshire Police to the scene. The fire has been extinguished and all passengers have been evacuated from the vessel, with no reported injuries.  1pm UPDATE: The vessel has now moved from Fishbourne to Portsmouth.  A Maritime & Coastguard Agency Surveyor from the Southampton Marine Office is now attending the vessel to carry out an investigation into the incident. The vessel will remain out of passenger service until repair work has been carried out.  

Ten years ago today, the MSC Napoli, a 275 metre (900ft) long container ship was on passage in the English Channel when she got caught in stormy weather and suffered catastrophic hull damage.   MSC NAPOLI Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of States Representative (SOSREP) said:  ‘The scale of the response and resources required to the salvage the NAPOLI was immense. Fortunately, shipping incidents as time and resource heavy as the NAPOLI are rare within the UK’s jurisdiction. ‘Like with all shipping incidents that occur in our waters, we make every effort to protect the environment, and the NAPOLI was no different.  The strategy was unusual in that we deliberately grounded the vessel in Lyme Bay to mitigate against a potentially far more serious situation. Failure to take this action would have led to the significant risk of the vessel sinking in the open seas of the English Channel, which could have led to long term environmental consequences as well as navigation sa...

 New Director of the UK Ship Register Doug Barrow The Maritime & Coastguard Agency has appointed a new Director of the UK Ship Register (UKSR). Doug Barrow, currently chief executive of Maritime London – where he has been promoting the UK as a centre of maritime excellence for business – says he is honoured to be taking on the role and looking forward to leading the team. The new appointment will be announced formally at a Maritime Growth Reception at the House of Commons on Monday 16 January, which will be hosted  by the Rt. Hon. John Hayes CBE MP, Minister of State for Transport together with Maritime UK. The appointment is part of a wider commitment to generate growth in the maritime sector, encourage greater investment in the UK and promote the UK flag as a world-class register that attracts quality ship owners. Seven years under the Red Ensign As UK Ship Register Director, Doug Barrow will play a leading role in championing the UK flag and bui...

UK Coastguard received multiple 999 calls at approximately 1 pm today (14 December) reporting a person trapped following a cliff fall at Thorpeness Beach, Suffolk.   Coastguard Rescue Teams from Aldeburgh, Shingle Street, Lowestoft, Southwold and Felixstowe, along with the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Lydd, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, Suffolk Police, members of the Aldeburgh RNLI lifeboat station, East England Ambulance Service and a Police helicopter were all sent to assist.   Bev Allen, Maritime Operations Controller for the UK Coastguard said: “This was a large scale search and rescue effort in which multiple agencies worked together to free the trapped person. We ask people to please stay away from this particular area while the emergency services are at work. We would remind people to be mindful when out walking on the coast. Standing on cliff edges and at the base of a cliff are dangerous places to be as it is impossible to predict when t...

The UK Coastguard has coordinated an extensive search and rescue effort tonight after a 90m cargo vessel sunk approximately 35 nautical miles north east of Ramsgate. The UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopters from Lydd and Lee-on-Solent, the RNLI all-weather lifeboat from Ramsgate, a Dutch search and rescue helicopter and multiple merchant vessels have all assisted in the search and rescue effort. Steve Carson, UK Coastguard Duty Commander said: "Following a MAYDAY broadcast from the sinking vessel, we sent multiple assets to the scene to rescue the crew who abandoned ship. The weather on scene has been challenging but we are pleased to report that all the crew have been rescued and are on their way to hospital."

Credit Braemar Mountain Rescue Team A series of recent mountain rescue incidents together with severe weather warnings still in place have sparked Police Scotland, Mountaineering Scotland and the UK Coastguard to issue a reminder for people to be prepared and ‘think safety first’ if venturing into the Scottish m ountains.  The plea comes after a spate of mountain rescues from the combined forces of the Scottish Mountain Rescue Teams and the UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopters.   Walkers, snow sports enthusiasts, climbers and mountaineers are being asked not to put themselves in any unnecessary danger .  They are encouraged to stay safe this winter and to also t ell a friend or family of their intentions in case they should later require the services of mountain rescue experts and the UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter service . Credit Braemar Mountain Rescue Team Police Scotland Superintendent Colin Gough said:  “At this time of y...

Inspection work has been carried out all day across HM Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter bases after the global fleet of S92s were stopped from flying. All S92 helicopters across the world had to undergo a mandatory inspection with repairs where necessary. The life-saving provision of the helicopters meant Bristow Helicopters Ltd worked closely with Sikorsky to fast track the bases back into service. Helicopters at Sumburgh , Stornoway,  Humberside, Newquay, and Prestwick  and Inverness are all now back in service. Helicopters at Caernarfon will also shortly return to service.    HM Coastguard helicopters at St Athan, Lydd, Lee-on-Solent and Portland are of a different type so those services have been unaffected by the issue. Damien Oliver, Assistant Director with responsibility for aviation at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: ‘This was a highly unusual situation but we were prepared and we pulled out every stop when we were told ...

We have been made aware that the global fleet of S92s, including those that fly for the UK Coastguard, has been stopped from flying while they undergo a mandatory inspection with repairs where necessary. We expect those affected bases to return to service throughout the day as those repairs are put in place. The Inverness based helicopter has already been brought back into service for lifesaving work and we are negotiating a limited return to service at other bases in the same manner. This issue affects all S92s operated around the world. Bristow Helicopters operates S92s on behalf of the UK Coastguard. Of course search and rescue helicopters are not the only means by which the UK Coastguard can rescue people.  The volunteers of the Coastguard Rescue Teams, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Mountain Rescue services and others, still remain available to support lifesaving work.’

Mr Robinson had luck on his side after crawling for two hours towards Seatown, Dorset with an injured right leg after he slipped on rocks at the beach last Saturday night (7 January). With no means of calling for help, the man dragged himself off the rocks back onto the beach towards the lights of Seatown to try and raise the alarm. Thankfully, he had told his wife where he was going and when he didn’t arrive back when expected, she went out looking for him and found him. After raising the alarm with the emergency services, the  West Bay Coastguard  Rescue Team set off on their first call out of 2017, along with the RNLI Lyme Regis lifeboat.   After finding the casualty and his wife, both crews working quickly to stabilise his leg with splints and fracture straps, all the while keeping him warm and in good spirits. The man was transferred to Lyme Regis via the Lifeboat where  Lyme Regis Coastguard  assisted with the final transfer to the amb...

While most of us were still asleep this morning, a blast of cold sea air was being felt by UK Coastguard Paramedic Winchman Niall Hanson as he was winched onto a UK fishing vessel 100 nautical miles south of Newquay to assist an unwell crewman. Co-ordinated by the UK Coastguard Operations Centre at Falmouth, the Newquay search and rescue helicopter flew over rough seas and just inside French waters to evacuate the sick crewman from the UK vessel.  The crewman was airlifted to Treliske Hospital by the helicopter crew of Captain Mark Coupland, Co-Pilot 'Sharky' Finn, Paramedic Winch Operator Jason Bibby and Paramedic Winchman Niall Hanson. His condition was not thought to be life-threatening and we wish him a speedy recovery.

It's that time of year when we all are reminded to be aware of cold weather and ice conditions when we are outside. But after a recent spate of incidents, UK Coastguard has issued some timely advice for enjoying the UK Coast safely.  By following these simple safety tips people can enjoy the coast without putting themselves in danger. ·          Wrap up warm – The sea breeze will make the temperature feel even colder than it actually is. ·          Wear appropriate foot wear – Sturdy walking boots or good quality outdoor shoes should be worn.  Trainers, flip flops, smart leather shoes have all been spotted by Coastguards in recent days being worn by people slipping and sliding along narrow cliff top paths.  This type of footwear is not appropriate for a cliff top walk. ·          Do not run on cliff top paths – we understand ...

Great footage captured yesterday by our UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Inverness after they rescued two climbers who got into difficulty on Tower Ridge, Ben Nevis in Scotland. At about 2.30pm yesterday (4th January 2017) Police Scotland received a report that a climber had injured his ankle on Ben Nevis and was unable to move any further.  Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team were sent to assist along with the UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Inverness. The climbers were winched to safety and the waiting Scottish Ambulance Service. 

A brand new search and rescue helicopter will soon be appearing on the south coast. The new £20 million AW189, painted in red and white HM Coastguard colours, is the first of two AW189s that will operate from the Coastguard base at Lee-on-Solent. It’s expected to arrive soon and will spend the next few months flying in the area on training missions before it starts operational duties from April 2017. Search and rescue work will, in the meantime, continue to be fulfilled from Lee-on-Solent by the Coastguard AW139s.