HM Coastguard

  Just before 8am today (June 27) a 999 call was received reporting a 30ft yacht that had grounded and capsized at Sandown Bay. The Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team has attended to assess the vessel which does not have anyone onboard. Isle of Wight Council has been informed of the incident as there are signs of diesel pollution on the foreshore in the area of the Tradewinds Cafe. The affected area along the shoreline has been taped off by HM Coastguard and signs put in place to advise the public of the pollution.    The owner of the yacht has been contacted and the situation is being continually monitored by the Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Counter Pollution Team and Isle of Wight Council.

When you’re heading out on the water, for a sail, a surf or a paddle on that new or well-loved boat or personal watercraft such as your dinghy, kayak, canoe or paddleboard, knowing ‘the ropes’ when it comes to safety could be a lifesaver. No matter how short a trip you may be planning, please do bear in mind that sea conditions can change in the blink of an eye. Being prepared will give you the best chance of getting home safely if things go unexpectedly wrong. It was a late night... Credit Littlehampton Coastguard Rescue Team Know who to call There are lots of free and widely available resources out there that will ensure you can call for help in the event of a mishap. A mobile phone in a waterproof pouch is one of the simplest ways to ensure you can call us on 999 in an emergency See the useful links further down in this post that gives the best safety advice from our partners the RNLI , the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) and top tips if you do find yourself in the water f...

Despite the mixed weather forecast for this weekend, we’re still expecting many of you to visit our beautiful coastlines. As always, we want everyone to enjoy the sunshine and a trip to a coastal hotspot, but it’s our job to help ensure everyone stays safe. Unfortunately, incidents can happen at any time – it could be you, your friends or family who need our assistance in a coastal emergency. In this week’s Safety Spotlight Blog, we’re highlighting the dangers of getting stuck in the mud. You might be surprised to hear how often our highly-skilled Coastguard Rescue Teams carry out these quite complex mud rescues. We were busy last weekend… On Sunday afternoon (13th June), our Coastguard Rescue Teams from Weston-Super-Mare and Clevedon were sent to help a woman who was struggling in the mud at Marine Lake, Weston-Super-Mare. Thankfully, the teams managed to free her from the mud quickly and provide first aid at the scene. That same afternoon, on Mumbles Beach in Swansea, Burry Port and ...

While the work of the G7 might not have started until the first session got under way, the preparations for the event in Carbis Bay began many months before.   Emergency services, military, local and regional authorities all gathered months in advance to make sure that everything would go as smoothly as possible. Also at the table was HM Coastguard looking to keep everyone safe at the beach and the coast, whatever the reason for their visit.   Martin Leslie is the Coastal Operations Area Commander for Cornwall.    “I’ve been living this since January,” he said. “This has been something months in the planning across the team, in terms of the logistics, the anticipated events and the preparation to make sure whatever happens, if someone gets into trouble at the coast, we’ll be ready to respond.   “We took into account things like road closures for the event or the challenges that protests might have given us and took the view, for example, that we needed to have o...

With warm weather ahead and the EUROs kicking off this weekend, our goal is to help everyone stay safe around the coast...  Good old fashioned bad luck can strike at any time but high spirits often lead to high jinks and danger quickly kicks in. And when alcohol and chilly sea water are mixed together, that’s a potentially lethal cocktail that can be life changing as well as life-threatening.    Did you know that around one in every eight coastal deaths involves alcohol?  It can happen in the sea as well as in rivers and lakes too. It happened to one 19-year-old student whose family and friends wanted to share their story. ( Read more ) Don’t let it happen to you, your family or your mates The water is still chilly at this time of year, increasing the risk of drowning or cardiac arrest from cold water shock. Check out the useful links below to find out why cold water shock is so dangerous – no matter how young and fit you are. Cold water does not discriminate. In...

A man has today (June 8) been sentenced after making false and malicious calls to HM Coastguard. Leon Marandola, 20-years-old, has been ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and given a two-year supervision order. A restriction of liberty order has also been imposed. Marandola pleaded guilty to making 19 hoax calls during an earlier hearing at Elgin Sherriff Court. The hoax calls were made during a two-month period between June 17 and August 25 2019. The hoax calls led to HM Coastguard sending out helicopters, Coastguard Rescue Officers and RNLI lifeboats to save lives when in fact no one was in any danger. The cost of these call outs has been estimated to be in the region of £170,000. This figure doesn’t account for the wages of volunteers that may have been lost due to call outs, the HM Coastguard operations room costs or the costs to any merchant or industrial ships that may have been diverted by HM Coastguard to assist in the searches. But the true cost of Marandol...

During May 2021, we’ve responded to 3,375 reports of incidents around our coasts, helping hundreds of people out of sticky situations and scary moments. Sunny Bank Holidays are a time when many of us enjoy spending time at the coast with our family and friends. But for some people it’s also a time to discover that at the sea, it can change from a warm, sunny place to a seriously scary one in seconds. Oops, an expensive slip up. Credit St Agnes Coastguard Rescue Team What the stats say Last Bank Holiday weekend was busier than last year’s for our teams around the UK as sunseekers in their thousands headed for some fun at the coast.   Between 00.01 on Friday morning (28 May) until midnight on Bank Holiday Monday (31 May), we recorded 874 incidents - where the fun stopped and our assistance and that of our fellow emergency service partners was needed. 279 of those incidents were on Bank Holiday Monday. In 2020 over the same period, we recorded 535 incidents. Incidents in May...

It’s Volunteers’ Week 2021 (1-7 June) and we’re celebrating our volunteers who proudly serve Her Majesty’s Coastguard. The Coastguard Rescue Service is made up of several thousand volunteers as well as over 300 Coastguard Rescue Teams across the UK, with our volunteers giving up their time for free and playing a vital role in delivering our dedicated 24/7 search and rescue service. From wake-up calls in the middle of the night responding to incidents to volunteering on birthdays, Bank Holidays and at Christmas, our volunteers – along with full-time staff members – are always on call to help keep people safe at the coast and at sea. Ahead of the beginning of the UK summer, our Coastguard Rescue Teams, as usual, have been preparing for much-improved weather and likely increased footfall to coastal areas. From rope rescue scenario training to stuck in the mud exercises at the beach and coastal patrols, we have been getting ready for every eventuality at the coast. We’ve also been continui...

Did you know that in addition to our year-round work to keep people safe around the UK’s coasts, our teams of dedicated volunteers and staff are always on call to lend a hand to other emergency services and partners? Over the last year, our teams, our vehicles and search and rescue helicopters have been involved across the country providing support where it’s needed most. This Volunteers Week, we’re taking a look back on just a few of the ways in which we’ve come to the rescue in what’s been an extraordinary year. Credit: Stornoway Coastguard Rescue Team COVID-19 response In Scotland’s Western Isles, our volunteers and staff stepped in to help with carrying essential tests in complex and crucial transportation that involved two ferry crossings and road trips in a 140-mile trip. The search and rescue helicopter from Stornoway also supported NHS Western Isles by moving vulnerable patients from Barra to hospital in Stornoway. And the work has continued with the provision of transport for ...