HM Coastguard

HM Coastguard received a 999 call just after 9 this morning (29 November) from a member of the public saying that they could see four people, standing on rocks and waving, after being cut off by the tide at St Margaret’s Bay, Kent. Deal and Langdon Battery coastguard rescue teams and Dover RNLI lifeboat were sent. The people were taken onto the lifeboat and taken safely to shore, all four were cold but otherwise safe and well. Kerry Chapman, HM Coastguard said, The group were extremely lucky to be spotted by a member of the public who called 999 and asked for the Coastguard. They were in a very precarious position and their morning walk could have ended very differently. Remember always check the weather and tides before you set out so you can prepare accordingly. Consider whether you could become cut off by the incoming tide and don’t take unnecessary risks. Take a fully charged mobile phone with you so you can call for help if the worst should happen. If you get into difficu...

HM Coastguard confirmed that the search which resumed at 7.30am Sunday morning, has now finished at 2.30pm. Units helping with the search today included Newhaven and Eastbourne RNLI lifeboats and Eastbourne and Birling Gap Coastguard Rescue Teams as well as local fishing vessels.  Sadly nothing further has been found today.

HM Coastguard has been coordinating a major search since 6am on Saturday for three crew members from the fishing vessel JOANNA C which sank off Newhaven.  One person was recovered conscious from the sea on Saturday morning by the Newhaven RNLI lifeboat and was transferred to helicopter but two crew members are missing. A large number of rescue units have been involved in the search today, including Eastbourne and Newhaven RNLI lifeboats, two Coastguard rescue helicopters, the Coastguard fixed wing aircraft and Birling Gap and Beachy Head Coastguard Rescue Teams. Also helping with this search were 12 other vessels including many fishing vessels in the area which responded to the Coastguard broadcasts and have been helping with the search at sea. Sadly the two crew members are still missing and the search is suspended at 11pm tonight, with a search at first light planned. Chris Thomas, Deputy Director of HM Coastguard said, “HM Coastguard’s National Maritime Operations Cent...

One man has been recovered from the water by the Newhaven RNLI lifeboat, found clinging to a lifebuoy.  He has been transferred to hospital. The search continues for the two missing crew members after the fishing vessel JOANNA C sank this morning off Newhaven.   The search began at 6am on Saturday morning, when HM Coastguard received an EPIRB alert located three nautical miles off the coast at Seaford near Newhaven, from the EPIRB (emergency beacon) from the vessel.  HM Coastguard immediately sent the Coastguard rescue helicopter from Lydd, supported by the Coastguard rescue helicopter based at Lee On Solent and RNLI all weather lifeboats from both Newhaven and Eastbourne.  Birling Gap Coastguard Rescue Team has been sent to check for sightings from the shore.   Other fishing vessels in the area responded to the Coastguard radio broadcasts and have been helping with the search.   The fishing vessel JOANNA C is a 45 foot scalloping vessel, reg...

At 6am on Saturday morning, HM Coastguard received an EPIRB alert located three nautical miles off the coast at Seaford near Newhaven, from the EPIRB (emergency beacon) of a fishing vessel.   HM Coastguard immediately sent the Coastguard rescue helicopter from Lydd and RNLI all weather lifeboats from both Newhaven and Eastbourne.  Birling Gap Coastguard Rescue Team has been sent to check for sightings from the shore.   Another fishing vessel in the area responded to the Coastguard radio broadcasts and is helping with the search.  The Coastguard rescue helicopter based at Solent will also join the air search.   The fishing vessel is a 45 foot scalloping vessel with three people on board. The search is ongoing.  

The search for a windsurfer missing from Hunstanton, Norfolk since late afternoon on 14 November has been called off. Despite the best efforts of all those involved the missing man has not been found. HM Coastguard co-ordinated the multi-agency search and rescue operation which commenced at 5.20pm on Saturday 14 November. Searches continued today using the coastguard helicopter from Humberside, the coastguard fixed wing aircraft and the RNLI lifeboat from Cromer.   A windsurfing board was located this morning by the helicopter in waters off the north Norfolk coast and has been identified as belonging to the man.    Despite strenuous efforts to find the man, he has not been found and the decision was taken to suspend the search this afternoon.   Craig Needham, Team Leader at Humberside Coastguard Operations Centre said: "Everyone has worked extremely hard searching along the coast and extensively at sea since Saturday evening. However, the decision has...

  HM Coastguard has been coordinating a multi agency search and rescue operation in the Hunstanton area of Norfolk since Saturday for an overdue windsurfer who was reported as missing at 5.20pm on Saturday (14 November).   Searches for the man continued this morning and are ongoing this afternoon (16 November) using the search and rescue helicopter from Humberside, the Coastguard fixed wing aircraft and the RNLI lifeboat from Cromer. A windsurfing board was located this morning by the search and rescue helicopter in waters off the north Norfolk Coast. It has yet to be confirmed as belonging to the missing man.   Over the weekend, extensive searches of the coastline took place involving multiple assets: Sutton Bridge, Wells, Skegness Coastguard Rescue Teams Hunstanton and Wells lifeboats Search and rescue helicopter from Humberside The Coastguard fixed wing aircraft Norfolk Police   Anyone with information not already passed to police, is asked...

  Two divers, who were reported as overdue earlier this evening in Martins Haven, Pembrokeshire, have been located by a lifeboat and are safe and well.   The Coastguard helicopter, 3 RNLI lifeboats from Angle, St Davids and Little Haven, Dale and Broad Haven Coastguard rescue teams and Police began the search for the two divers at approximately 4.45 pm this evening. Two hours later, the male and female divers were located in the sea off Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire. They had become caught in a current and were swept away from the main dive party.   Max Hawkins, for HM Coastguard said:   “The two divers were in a dire situation when the lifeboat found them, floating in the sea in the dark off Skomer Island, so we were extremely relieved when they were found. They have now been returned to shore.”

Her Majesty's Coastguard has completed a programme of mutual aid support work, helping the Scottish Ambulance Service with trained drivers, as an extension to work done in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Between Wednesday 21st October and Saturday 24th October, coastguard drivers assisted the ambulance service to crew their vehicles as part of support to the Scottish Ambulance Service's resilience plans. These double-crewed ambulances had one Coastguard (driving) and One Ambulance Service clinician to maintain essential cover in the Isle of Harris, Western Isles in Scotland. This valuable work, which included helping the ambulance service with both planned patient transfers and emergency calls follows the extensive mutual aid training which was completed by HM Coastguard and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel over the course of this past summer (July and August), to support the Scottish Ambulance Service. From safe moving and handling techniques of patien...

UPDATE: 1.45pm, Friday 13th November After extensive searches today, overnight and yesterday, HM Coastguard has now stood down the search for a missing person off Tubby's Head, St Agnes, Cornwall. Our thoughts are with the family. We would like to thank all of the rescue teams who took part in this multi-agency search and rescue effort. For further information contact Devon and Cornwall Police. --- UPDATE (7am, Friday 13th November) At 12.43pm yesterday (12th November), HM Coastguard received a report of three people in potential difficulty after reportedly being washed off rocks and into the water at Tubby's Head, St Agnes, Cornwall. Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre is currently coordinating an ongoing, multi-agency response to this incident. St Ives RNLI ALB, St Agnes RNLI lifeboat, Sennen Cove RNLI lifeboat and Padstow RNLI ALB; St Agnes, Portreath and Newquay Coastguard Rescue Teams; the HM Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter from Newquay and Devon and Cornwall Po...

A man has been rescued by HM Coastguard after he became stuck while trying to climb a cliff at Stair Hole, Dorset. The man and a friend attempted to climb the cliff, it soon became clear that it was far too dangerous. One of the men was able to clamber back down, the other found himself in a seriously perilous position. He was completely stuck, 70ft up on an extremely slippery and muddy slope, with no safe way of getting back down or to the top of the cliff. HM Coastguard was called just before 2.15 yesterday afternoon (07 November) by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service who received the initial 999 call. Lulworth and Kimmeridge coastguard rescue teams, who are cliff rescue specialists, were sent and joined fire units from Weymouth, Wareham and Poole. It was quickly established that the safest option would be for the man to be winched off the cliff by helicopter. The St Athan coastguard helicopter was training in North Devon and sent to the man's aid. When th...

The search for a missing cockler has been suspended, pending further information. Despite the efforts of search and rescue teams and the local community, the missing man has not been found. He was reported missing yesterday (3 November) and an extensive search was carried out through last night and then again from early this morning. Burry Port, Llansteffan and Mumbles Coastguard Rescue Teams and a Senior Coastguard Operations Officer have been searching the coast along with Dyfed Powys Police as well as HM Coastguard’s helicopter from St Athan and a police helicopter. RNLI lifeboats from Burry Port have also been searching together with Loughor independent lifeboat. Volunteers from the cockling community have also been involved in the search  working alongside the police and coastguards. Despite strenuous efforts to find him, the man has not been found and the decision made to suspend the search. Max Hawkins, Senior Maritime Operations Officer with HM Coastguard said: “Everyone wo...

Are you interested in a career with HM Coastguard? Volunteering on a coastguard rescue team could lead to a full-time role as it is has for two volunteers from the Argyll and Islands team.   Jaimie Alexander and Colin Willis have been successful in their applications as full-time Senior Coastal Operations Officers.   Jaimie will stay in Argyll and Colin is taking up a position in Lerwick, Shetland.   Colin joined up as a volunteer three years ago after wanting to do something a bit different within the community. He said: “When I joined up as a volunteer, I didn’t have any expectations of a full-time position and very much enjoyed the fantastic experience of volunteering with a great team. The opportunity to apply for the role of Senior Coastal Operations Officer (SCOO) came along and the good experience I had working with the SCOOs from the Argyll and Islands team made me want to do the role.”   Coastal Operations Area Commander for Argyll and the ...

The search will continue at first light for a cockler who has been reported missing, along the coast near Llanelli, south Wales. HM Coastguard is coordinating the search which began around 6.30pm yesterday (4 November) after a report was received that he had not returned. Burry Port, Llansteffan and Mumbles Coastguard Rescue Teams and a Senior Coastguard Operations Officer have been searching the coast along with Dyfed Powys Police along with HM Coastguard’s helicopter from St Athan and a police helicopter. RNLI lifeboats from Burry Port have also been searching together with Loughor independent lifeboat. Volunteers from the cockling community have also been involved in the search under the coordination of Dyfed Powys Police. An extensive search of North Gower including Pwll has been carried out but the missing man has not yet been found. A land-based search will resume at first light. Peter Bailey, Senior Maritime Operations Officer with HM Coastguard said: “There has been a ...

Flares are not fireworks and we can’t always tell the difference at the coast As we approach bonfire night, although things might be different this year, our message remains the same: we’d like to remind everyone that marine flares should only ever be used in distress situations and not for entertainment, so please don’t be tempted to use them as fireworks for bonfire night celebrations.  If we receive an alert at or near the coast where a flare has been launched, we will always respond and won’t know the difference if you are using them as fireworks. This will tie up resources when it isn’t necessary, putting our rescue teams at unnecessary risk and potentially diverted from a legitimate emergency. So please, do not use flares as fireworks as they can easily be mistaken as an emergency situation at or near the coast.  What is the difference between a flare and fireworks? Flares are typically red or orange and don’t last long – they are an internationally recognised distress s...

HM Coastguard has been coordinating the response after a report was received of two people being swept into the sea at Mullion Cove, Cornwall. The call came in around 6.45pm today (2 Nov) that the two had been swept off the harbour wall into the water. Following the call, HM Coastguard’s helicopter from Newquay, RNLI lifeboats from Penzance and the Lizard, along with Mullion and Porthleven Coastguard Rescue Teams were all sent. Two people were winched from the water and taken to Treliske Hospital (Royal Cornwall Hospital). We have no further information.

An independent review into beach safety carried out for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been published today. ​ The Review of the Legal Responsibilities for Beach Safety, carried out by the law firm DWF, was commissioned as a result of calls for more clarity around who is legally responsible for beach safety.  It followed the inquest into the deaths of seven young men who drowned in separate incidents at Camber Sands in East Sussex in the summer of 2016.  The Coroner said in his view, that there was a complex patchwork of legal responsibilities and asked for these to be reviewed to bring a great clarity.  In the review, there are three central recommendations. The first, that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency should publish guidance for coastal landowners on managing beach safety, has already been carried out and published at Gov.uk  There will now be a series of discussions between all interested parties. The National Water Safety Forum, ...

  Her Majesty’s Coastguard continues to respond to a variety of weather related incidents during this period of stormy weather in the UK.  Conditions at sea in the far North of Scotland were severe with forecasts of up to Storm Force 10 and on Saturday 31 st  October, HM Coastguard tasked the Emergency Towing Vessel, (ETV)  IEVOLI BLACK  to proceed to the assistance of a large cargo vessel with engine failure North West of the Shetland Isles.  On 1 st  November, the vessel reported to HM Coastguard that repairs had been successfully completed and the vessel continued her voyage and the ETV was stood down.  HMCG continues to monitor the vessel’s passage.    HM Coastguard also continues to monitor two separate incidents involving the loss of containers from container ships, both in the Pentland Firth and also in the Bristol Channel. In Scotland, shipping  containers are adrift in the Pentland Firth after being lost from a container sh...