HM Coastguard and RAF work together to rescue rowers

HM Coastguard has been working with the RAF and a merchant vessel to rescue two rowers nearly 800 nautical miles off Lands End, Cornwall.

The rescue effort began just after 6.10am (UK time) today when a distress alert was received by HM Coastguard’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) from a transatlantic rowing vessel.

The JRCC soon established that the two crew members from the Faroe Islands had taken to a liferaft after their rowing vessel had capsized and subsequently sunk.

Merchant vessels in the area were contacted and asked to help. The closest merchant vessel was asked to alter course and proceed to the distress position where the alert – known as an EPIRB – had been set off.

A RAF Poseidon P8 aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth departed for the distress position at about 1130. It’s the first time that one of these aircraft has been used for search and rescue in the UK. The aircraft supported the rescue efforts by providing an overview of the rescue and critical communications link from the scene back to the UK.

Stock image of a Poseidon P8                                                             Credit: RAF

The merchant vessel rescued both crew members who were reported to be in good health.

Rob Priestley for HM Coastguard said: “EPIRBs can really make the difference between being saved and being lost. This alert allowed us to quickly pinpoint where the crew was and to quickly coordinate the help they needed.

“We are very grateful to the merchant vessel that stopped its busy schedule to rescue these survivors in very challenging weather conditions, and thankful to our friends at the RAF who provided such good support for this incident.”

Wing Commander Adam Smolak, Officer Commanding 201 Squadron said: “We were delighted to support the coastguard in this search and rescue operation. This operation showcases the world-leading capability of the Poseidon aircraft and coupled with the highly skilled crews, we were able to bring to bear the capability at short notice and help rescue the rowers”

 

Notes to editors

·         EPIRB stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.


Popular posts from this blog

Label your kit at the coast

Image
Kayaks. Canoes. Paddleboards. What do they all have in common? They’re quite often found on the coastline or drifting out to sea. And if we don’t know who they belong to, we can spend time searching for an owner when they’re home safe and sound. So please help us to help you. Label your kit so that if you do get separated from it, and it turns up somewhere, we can get hold of you. In recent weeks, our Coastguard Rescue Teams have found numerous items such as kayaks and canoes drifting out at sea or abandoned near the shoreline. Unfortunately, some of the items we have found have not had their owners’ contact details written on them nor been reported as missing to the Coastguard. As a result, it makes it difficult for us to find out who it belongs to and also means we can never be completely sure if someone is safe or in the worst case, in trouble at sea. This can place a huge strain on our resources especially during the busy summer period when we have to call upon our Coastgua
Read more

A short history of HM Coastguard

Image
Today HM Coastguard is a world leader in maritime search and rescue. Looking back almost 200 years, the goods, which now travel by road, were carried by hundreds of small ships. Year in year out dozens of ships and hundreds of lives were lost within sight of the coast. Public shock and dismay at the tragedies drove forward the creation of national life saving organisations. Though it’s beginnings lie in those decades HM Coastguard originated not to meet the dangers of the seas but to combat a threat to the country’s economy and security – smuggling. As soon as medieval taxes were charged on imports and exports, people began smuggling. By 1743 th e estimate was that half the tea drunk in Britain was illegally imported and shows that smuggling was highly profitable. Smugglers have often been romanticised but the reality was brutal. Local people lived in fear, with violent reprisals on informers and the murder of revenue officers, while corruption enabled smugglers to evade harsh p
Read more

Emergency Radio Procedures: Does your fishing crew know what to do?

Image
DSC emergency radio procedures                                                              Picture: Planefocus Fitting a Digital Selective Calling radio on your vessel and knowing how to use it in an emergency could save your life.   If the worst were to happen at sea, using a DSC radio correctly can save vital time in getting those in trouble back to the shore.   Calling HM Coastguard with DSC in an emergency significantly helps in locating an incident and providing that help.      Most fixed VHF radios come with built-in DSC, meaning the Coastguard can be called easily and fast.   Assistant Chief Coastguard Matt Leat said:  “DSC means information is sent quickly and clearly so a rescue can begin right away. As well as having a registered personal locator beacon (PLB) per crew member on board, with DSC you’ll be assisting the Coastguard in locating you much faster.   “No one wants to be in an emergency situation and have to use DSC or a PLB, but that does not mean your vessel sho
Read more