HM Coastguard

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...

People from across the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) paid their respects this Remembrance Day (10 November) by taking part in ceremonies to honour those who have fallen or lived through war. Brian Johnson, Chief Executive of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and Alun Newsome, Maritime Operations Controller, attended the Merchant Navy Memorial at Tower Hill to lay wreaths. And the MCA’s Richard Wilson, Head of the Office of the Chairman and Chief Executive, laid a wreath at a service in Southampton. Alex Smith, the Deputy Head of Aviation and Maritime Operations (MCA) and Jen Hill, a Senior Coastal Operations Officer, attended the Field of Remembrance service at Westminster Abbey on 7 November. At Westminster, a team of Coastguards, including representatives from volunteers marched with other services colleagues. And Coastguard Rescue Teams in regions throughout the UK paid their respects at local services and ceremonies. The Registry of Shipping & Seamen, p...

Coastguard rescue teams from Lerwick, Hillswick and Sumburgh, the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter crew from Sumburgh and staff from the Coastguard Operations Centre in Shetland have been awarded the prestigious Department for Transport Rescue Shield by Brian Johnson, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency this evening (5 November 2019). The DfT Rescue Shield is the highest national accolade, awarded to coastguard teams which have performed the most outstanding rescue of the year. It’s the sixth time that Shetland-based teams have been awarded the shield. On the evening of 9 May 2018, a teenager was trapped at the base of a 120ft cliff  for two hours with the tide coming in, in Fethaland, Shetland, after attempting to scale it. The rescue was challenging and its success was due to the professionalism and teamwork of all involved in a rescue co-ordinated by HM Coastguard. Coastguard rescue teams navigated dif...

A man, who climbed down to a cliff ledge to the aid of his pet Labrador, has been rescued by Coastguard Rescue Teams.  HM Coastguard received a 999 call at around 12.45pm on Thursday 31 October reporting that a dog was stuck on a cliff ledge in Fairlight Cove, Channel Way, Hastings. All set: Cliff rescue begins... While Coastguard Rescue Teams were enroute, the owner climbed around five metres down the cliff to join his dog, a chocolate Labrador, on the ledge. Teams from Hastings, Rye Bay and Bexhill, worked together to rescue first the owner, then his beloved pet. Both were unharmed. Senior coastal operations officer, Alex Garrod said: “This was a great result – teams worked together to ensure that both dog and its owner are now home safe and well. “But although it’s very understandable that people want to do all they can to save their dogs, I would urge members of the public who are concerned about the safety of their dogs at the beach or along the cliffs to ...

Parts of the UK are set for a battering this weekend and HM Coastguard is asking people to take extra care on the coast. Gale force winds will mean big seas and waves, with weather conditions at the coast likely to be incredibly dangerous. Duty controller for HM Coastguard, Phil Norman said: “Storms and high tides can make the coast incredibly treacherous. We’ve already seen earlier this week people struggling to drive through water and almost being swept away. Please don’t take the risk. Please take a diversion rather than put yourself in the way of tides.” He also warned people not to risk taking pictures: “We all know that the coastline can look incredibly dramatic. Remember that the pictures you see in publications and online are taken from a safe distance away by professional photographers with long lenses. Don’t get up close or it might be the last picture or selfie you ever get. “We’re asking everyone to take extra care and keep well away from breaking waves, piers and...