Coastguard commander shortlisted for national award

National Maritime Operations Commander Mark Rodaway OBE has been shortlisted for a national Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of his contribution to search and rescue co-ordination.
Mark, who is based at the National Maritime Operations Centre in Fareham, Hampshire, is one of three finalists in the Control Room Operators Lifetime Achievement award category and will be attending the ceremony next month.
He has overseen many notable incidents including the grounding of the car carrier Hoegh Osaka in the Solent in 2015, the rescue of 14 yachtsmen on the Clyde Challenger, 500 nautical miles off Land’s End, as well as the Napoli grounding and subsequent looting in 2007, off the coast in south Devon. Mark also had search and rescue oversight for the duration of the Olympics 2012 sailing events in Dorset.
Mark has also been heavily involved in training operations room staff both in the UK and internationally, giving the benefit of his expertise to the new recruits and spends time mentoring them in the work environment.
He has already received a number of awards for his work including the Honorary Commodore Award from the Prince of Wales in May 2008 and the OBE in 2012.
Mark said: ‘This has been my life’s work for very nearly 30 years. I remain passionate about the emergency response business and proud of HM Coastguard’s commitment to saving lives on the coast and at sea. It’s a privilege to lead the team delivering search and rescue incidents on the front line and a real honour to be shortlisted for an award which recognises the sterling work done by all our frontline emergency services and those who deal with potentially life and death situations.’
Mark Rodaway at the scene of the Napoli grounding, 2007
Chief executive of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency Brian Johnson said: ‘Our frontline staff deal with serious situations and incidents on a daily basis. They have to assess information, reassure frightened people and institute and carry out search and rescue plans to provide the best possible outcome to difficult incidents. 
'I’m delighted that Mark’s commitment and contribution to search and rescue has been recognised in the shortlisting for Control Room Operators awards.’

More than 400 nominations were received for all the ADP Control Room awards with the ceremony due to be held on 7 March in Nottingham.

Popular posts from this blog

A seriously scary walk in Wales

Image
One April day, Sally  lost her map, her hat and n early her life at L lansteffan .     An inno cent walk along the coast in Wales rapidly turned into something much more sinister for Sally and Clayton . One wrong step onto soft sand set off a chain of events that put Sally in a life-threatening situation . For Clayton , time stood still a s he could only watch the tide threatening to engulf Sally as they waited for their rescuers to arrive.   Fast response Thanks to the fast, life - sa ving decisions at the c oastguard operations centre at Milford Haven and a rapid response from the rescue teams , Sally and Clayton made it safely home after their ordeal last spring . But they both admit it was a shockingly close call and a n experience they never want to live through again.    They know they are incredibly lucky and are sharing their story to encourage anyone visit i ng the coast to always check the tide times , so a nice walk does not tu...
Read more

Coastguard scoops stricken man from surging waves

Image
Senior Coastal Operations Officer Ryan Gray A man facing the threat of being dashed on the rocks by powerful waves was rescued by a coastguard who hauled him o ut of the surging water.   The alarm was raised at about 9.45am at Skippingstone beach, Bangor, on 1 October when a member of the public reported their concern for a person they had spotted struggling on rocks being pounded by the s e a .   The 999 call was picked up at Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre which swiftly sent Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) and the local RNLI inshore lifeboat.   First on the scene was Senior Coastal Operations Officer Ryan Gray who, taking in the situation, quic k ly donned a personal float at ion device a ttached to a line.   As the sea surged, Ryan shouted a warning to the man before, seconds later , a wave picked the figure up and threw him to the shore.   The powerful surge carried him up the beach where Ryan was able to step forward and seiz...
Read more

Sunderland coastguards rescue cliff-stricken dog walker

Image
During a cold Winter's eve, Sunderland coastguards rushed to help a person stuck on cliffs while attempting to rescue their dog. "Being local, I knew the area well so when the call came in for a person stuck on cliffs at Marsden Grotto, I drove to the Coastguard Station wondering how it had happened,” said Deputy Station Officer Nick Robinson. During his eight-minute drive to the station, Nick considered how a casualty might have become stuck crag fast on the steep and unforgiving 80-foot cliff. Who are they with, what are they hanging onto, and how long would it hold?  His mind settled for a moment on his team's seven rope technicians trained for such dangerous circumstances, and the incoming tide that could quickly submerge an incapacitated casualty at the bottom of the cliff.  “On the way to the scene, we’re already thinking about planning a rescue; who’s going to do what and when. Cliff rescues are fast-paced, and there are dangers for our team. The situation changes m...
Read more