HM Coastguard

Imagine this. A total stranger saves your life by stepping in to help you at a time of emergency, but you have no way of thanking them? In fact, you don’t know their full name, whether you will ever see them again and have only a tiny clue to who and where they might be. Back in September of this year, holidaymaker Liam Muns, 34, who was in Disneyland Paris, suffered a major health scare after choking on his food at a restaurant one evening. A first aider was needed and thankfully sitting just a few tables away from Liam and his family was Harry Patrick, a volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officer with Mullion Coastguard Rescue Team, who was on holiday too, with his family. Earlier this year – in June, Harry acquired new-found first-aid and life-support training skills as part of his operator role with HM Coastguard, and he was able to put that knowledge to use there and then, in the heat of the moment. Liam Muns Indeed, his intervention – alongside one other person who of...

Work by members of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency in the maritime sector has been recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours list. The recently-retired Director of Her Majesty’s Coastguard Richard Parkes has been awarded the CBE for his contribution to maritime safety. As the head of HM Coastguard, he had the lead responsbility for major projects including establishing new arrangements for search and rescue helicopters, with new bases and modern aircraft. He was also responsible for creating a single national network of Coastguard Operations Centres bringing in new technology and creating extra resilience for the emergency network. Richard joined the MCA in 1998.  He said: “I am humbled to be recognised in this way.  I am proud to have led such a tremendous team effort to change the way we both coordinate and respond to search and rescue missions.” Alison Kentuck receives an MBE for her services to the maritime sector over the past 12 years as Rece...

A man lost at sea off the Solway Firth in a 25 foot motor boat has been rescued after a three hour search coordinated by HM Coastguard. The alarm was raised at around 3pm, when staff in Belfast Coastguard Operations Centre contacted vessels in Maryport harbour about a different matter and discovered that a man on board one of the motor vessels had already left Maryport harbour on passage to Barrow In Furness to the South but was in some difficulty.  Due to poor visibility and not having functional navigation and communications equipment on board the man was not able to work out the vessel's location. HM Coastguard launched a search and sent the Coastguard Rescue helicopter from Prestwick and requested the launch of Workington and Ramsay RNLI lifeboats.  The vessel was located around 6pm, 30 miles from the departure point to the North of the Isle of Man.  The vessel has been escorted to Kircudbright Harbour by the Kircudbright RNLI lifeboat and met by Kircudbright Co...

This year, tens of thousands of people have visited our coasts and sailed on our seas. Unfortunately, sometimes, things went wrong but when they did - we were there to help! The MCA is constantly working to keep you safe. From our Surveyors who make sure vessels are safe, to our Coastguard Rescue Teams who leave their loved ones so that you make it home to yours, we’re all working together to ensure your safety. Have a happy and safe New Year everyone! Here’s a little taster of what we’ve been up to this year...

While most of us were safe and sound tucking into our Christmas dinners yesterday afternoon, our staff were in our ops rooms and on call along with our coastguard volunteers across the UK, ready to help if you needed them. One of the many calls we received on Christmas Day came from a member of the public just after 3pm saying they could see person stuck on a cliff at Gwithian Beach, Cornwall. Coastguard rescue teams from St Ives and Porthreath, who are all volunteers, were sent along with an area commander. The coastguard helicopter from Newquay was on a training flight nearby and arrived in less than a minute of being tasked. The helicopter’s winchman paramedic was lowered to the man and used a single strop to scoop him off the cliff. Thankfully the man was checked over by the paramedic and didn’t need to go to hospital, he was then escorted home by members of the coastguard rescue teams. Have a happy and safe Christmas and Ne...

HM Coastguard cliff rescue teams rescued a woman from 100 foot cliffs after she was cut off by the tide while exploring caves. HM Coastguard rescue teams from Rhossili, Mumbles and Oxwich, the Coastguard rescue helicopter from St Athan and the Mumbles RNLI all-weather lifeboat were tasked to assist a female from the bottom of cliffs at Culver Hole after becoming cut off by the tide. HM Coastguard received a 999 call just after 1:30pm on Sunday 22nd December from walkers on top of the cliff at Culver Hole on the Gower peninsular, reporting a female in difficulty at the base of the cliff after getting cut off whilst the tide was coming in. On arrival, responders identified that due to the overhanging cliffs it was not possible to winch the casualty to safety using the rescue helicopter. Instead, Coastguard Rescue Teams undertook a rope rescue and recovered the female to the top of the cliff and paramedics from the helicopter crew provided medical attention. Although cold and wet,...

'Tis the season for wintry walks following festive feasts 🚶‍♀️ 🚶‍♂️ ❄️ If you’re planning on taking a coastal clifftop stroll during the festive period there are some simple steps you can take to ensure everyone’s safety. Make sure that you are properly equipped for walking along coastal paths. 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. Use designated paths, take notice of any warning signs and fences in place and don’t take any unnecessary risks. Leave the rescue to the experts! If you see someone in trouble call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Vessel owners can claim back £200 per item towards the cost of buying PFDs with integrated PLBs for their crew by applying to Seafish. The new UK-wide funding scheme, which is being delivered by Seafish in co-operation with the MCA and Trinity House, is open to owners of active UK registered commercial fishing vessels who have not previously received support to purchase PLBs from elsewhere. It allows them to claim a reimbursement of £200 on the cost of each item purchased for their crew – potentially covering up to 50% of the cost of this life-saving equipment. The financial backing for the scheme is being provided from the UK government’s new £1m fund to improve safety in the fishing industry, which was announced by Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani at the Department for Transport in July 2019. For further details and information on how to apply: Visit https://seafish.org/article/funding-for-pfds-with-plbs Contact the Project Administrator on 01472 252302 or training@seafish...

This Christmas, why not give a gift that could save a life? If you have an adventurous loved one who’s more likely to be found sailing the high seas or wandering the wilderness than vegging out this festive season, consider gifting them something that could prove infinitely more valuable the more traditional gifts found under the tree. Lifejackets can improve survival rates in cold water by four times and should be worn by those on sailing yachts, motor cruisers as well as fishing off rocks and piers. Buoyancy aids are suitable when there’s a chance you might get wet – for kayakers, canoeists, rowers and dinghy sailors, for example. For more information, visit https://rnli.org/safety/lifejackets By buying your loved one a Personal Locator Beacon, or PLB, you are giving them the means to alert rescuers if they get into difficulty on land or sea anywhere in the world. You’re also buying yourself some peace of mind. Or for a lifesaving gift that doesn’t cost a thing, downloa...

As we begin to look back at the year that was in 2019, some of our coastguards – who were involved in November’s Remembrance Day Services across the country – recall what it felt like to represent HM Coastguard at such an important occasion and remember those who fell in two world wars and other conflicts. Coastguards from across the UK gathered at HMS Collingwood, the Royal Navy training base in Fareham, ahead of the traditional Cenotaph Service in London (Sunday 10th November), to rehearse, practice and come together as one team, before they marched – with the world watching on – on a beautiful morning in the capital. Here, with the help of Dayle Jones, from Belfast Coastguard, who once again played a key role in bringing 11 coastguard volunteers together, from as far away as Stornoway and close-by as Portsmouth, to commemorate Remembrance – we’ve rounded-up some of their personal highlights: Emma Gasston, Maritime Operations Specialist at the National Maritime Operations Centr...

The loss of an aircrew involved in a daring mission over Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II were commemorated yesterday (Sunday 15th December) to mark the 75th anniversary of the tragedy. All ten crew members of a US liberator bomber, nicknamed 'The Jigs Up', were forced to flee the aircraft due to lack of fuel and engine trouble while the plane attempted to land in atrocious weather conditions at RAF Valley in Anglesey in 1944. Eight of the 10 airmen on-board died after parachuting out of the aircraft in complete darkness. They had hoped to land near the North Stack Lighthouse, off the north-west coast of Anglesey, but sadly ⁠– the men landed in the sea and had no flotation devices or life-jackets with them. The pilot and co-pilot on-board were able to leave the aircraft before it crashed, next to the shoreline. Holyhead Coastguard Rescue Team were joined by Rhoscolyn and Cemaes Bay teams in the search for the missing men, which lasted three days and night...

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is aware items of debris have begun to wash ashore after being lost in the early hours of Monday morning from a container ship sailing off the Pembrokeshire coast. These items may include packets of rice cakes, apples and tin foil. Items have been reported at Broad Haven in St Brides Bay, Angle and Freshwater West. A Maritime & Coastguard Agency reconnaissance aircraft is carrying out regular checks of local beaches, and the Pembrokeshire coast National Park will be assisting in surveying the beaches.  Those responsible for the cargo are aware and are formulating a clean-up operation and temporary storage in co-ordination with Pembrokeshire County Council. As there is an ongoing clean-up operation, we ask that items are left for the authorities to collect and dispose of appropriately. These materials have an owner so if you do recover anything, please be aware that you have a legal requirement to report it to the Receiver of ...

UPDATE Statement Thursday 12th December: HM Coastguard is pleased to announce that the missing kayaker was traced onshore overnight after members of the public came forward with information. The man involved had been forced to abandon the kayak at sea and swim back to shore in darkness and is safe and well. Statement Wednesday 11th December: HM Coastguard is appealing for information about the whereabouts of a kayaker last seen this afternoon off Portobello Beach, see details and a description below.   Please call Aberdeen Coastguard Operations Centre on 01224 592 334 if you have information. HM Coastguard launched a search after a report of a male overdue on an inflatable kayak who departed from the western end of Portobello Beach near to the Seafield Recycling Centre at approximately 3.15pm this afternoon. The kayaker was last seen at 4pm this afternoon approximately two miles off Portobello Beach.  Male was in a bright blue and green inflatable kayak with w...

A fisherman was rescued early this morning (Nov 29) after spending around 12 hours on a remote rocky islet north of Herm in the Channel Islands. A search and rescue helicopter from Lee on the Solent was sent to assist Guernsey Coastguard, who had sent two lifeboats, shortly after 11pm last night (Nov 28) after a fishing vessel was reported as overdue by seven hours. The helicopter crew of four managed to spot the missing fisherman waving his arms from a ridge on the rocks, successfully winched him up and safely transferred him to an ambulance at 1.15am. He had swum to the rocks after his boat capsized at 1pm yesterday (Nov 28). Duty captain of the search and rescue helicopter Simon Hoare said: ““In just a T shirt and jeans, soaking wet, and with no shelter, or protection from the elements, this man was very lucky to be found when he was. "We were all elated to find him. A successful outcome, such as this, is what makes our job so rewarding.”

The search for a light aircraft with one person on board that went missing near Puffin Island, Anglesey, has been suspended for the night. HM Coastguard received a report at 12:47 this afternoon (Monday 25 th November) that a light aircraft had disappeared from radar contact near to Puffin Island. The aircraft was flying from Caernarfon Airport to Great Orme in Llandudno and back. The Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Caernarfon, Coastguard Rescue Teams from Penmon and Bangor, a Senior Coastal Operations Officer, RNLI Lifeboats from Beaumaris, Moelfre and Llandudno and North Wales Police were all assisting in the search.  The Air Accident Investigation Branch has been informed. The search will continue in the morning, we have no further information at this time.

HM Coastguard coordinated the rescue of two fishermen from the water after their fishing vessel sank off the Isle Of Man. At 6pm, Belfast Coastguard Operations Centre was alerted to the incident. The fishing vessel's EPIRB activated after they had abandoned their boat and the Isle Of Man registered 10 metre fishing vessel sank shortly afterwards. HM Coastguard requested the launch of RNLI lifeboats from Port St Mary and Port Erin and the Coastguard rescue helicopter from Caernarfon.  The crew were found and very fortunately for them they were both wearing their life jackets and they were recovered safely by another fishing vessel and escorted ashore by the Port Erin RNLI lifeboat. Notes For Editors: Beacons  A 406 megahertz (MHz) beacon can send a distress signal via satellites to alert search and rescue authorities to your location: Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) for ships and boats and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) for personal use. You ...

At 9.08pm Friday 22nd November, HM Coastguard in the UK received a call from the Australian maritime authority, (JRCC Australia), who had in turn received a HF DSC Distress alert from what initially appeared to be a UK registered vessel named Asia.  Investigations started by searching all relevant databases for contact details for the vessel but the vessel was not found to be on the UK Register.  Coastguard coordinators in the UK are able to monitor beacon alerts globally and had noticed that a US registered EPIRB, (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) had been activated in approximately the same area as the HF DSC Distress. The UK Coastguard had made contact with the skippers wife to confirm the HEXID number on the beacon that was carried on board the vessel.  She confirmed that this was attributed to the Malaysian registered sailing vessel Asia, which was on passage to Thailand with four people on board, including two British citizens and contact was then m...

Two people were dramatically rescued off Cornwall early this morning (18th November) after their sailing vessel began taking on water and started to sink. Falmouth Coastguard received a radio mayday broadcast at 5.18am from the two people on board the 70-feet yacht, reporting that the vessel was 21 nautical miles north of the Isles of Scilly and the on-board electrics and pump had failed due to the incoming water. It meant that they could not stop the water flow, which continued to increase. The crew, who were wearing life jackets, launched the life raft, climbed aboard and abandoned the yacht after sending their mayday message. The Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter (R924) from Newquay and the St Ives RNLI all-weather lifeboat were sent to the rescue by Falmouth Coastguard. A nearby fishing vessel, Cornishman, had also heard the radio distress message and went to offer help. The search and rescue helicopter from Newquay arrived at 6.15am and quickly spotted the two m...

Watch the dramatic moment when a man was rescued by a HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter in a remote area of Cornwall on Sunday (10th November). The team on-board Newquay-based Sikorsky S92 aircraft were actually airborne and on their way to Land’s End for a routine training exercise – but received contact from the Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team and the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC), reporting that a man had fallen into the water at Porthcothan, a coastal village between Newquay and Padstow. Walkers at Park Head cliff tops in Porthcothan saw a local fisherman washed off the rocks at Bedruthan Steps and straight into freezing cold seawater. Responding to the incident straightaway, the search and rescue helicopter headed to the scene but were roughly 30 minutes or so away from caring to the man. Fortunately, during the time it took for the search and rescue team to arrive at Porthcothan, a quick-thinking member of the public managed to throw a life-ring...