HM Coastguard

At 4.00 pm this afternoon Ambulance Control alerted Her Majesty’s Coastguard at Solent that a car had gone over the cliff at Telscombe Cliff near Peacehaven near the Badgers Watch pub. The car was now upside down in a rock pool and one occupant could be seen. The Newhaven, Shoreham and Birling Gap Coastguard Rescue Teams were immediately called out to assist initially with their Cliff Rescue Equipment and securing a helicopter landing site close by.   They were also joined by Sussex Police and Ambulance personnel at the scene of the incident.   Sussex Fire and Rescue were also alerted and the Coastguard rescue helicopter R 104 from Lee on Solent was scrambled. Colin Griffiths, Duty Watch manager at Solent Coastguard said “The aircraft crews have been busy ferrying both Coastguards and Fire and Rescue officers with cutting equipment from the top to the bottom of the cliff enabling the rescue services to extract the casualty and confirm that only one person was involved...

Five men have been airlifted off their yacht this afternoon after it grounded on the Goodwin Sands. The yacht ‘Liquid Fusion’ contacted Dover Coastguard to inform them that their yacht was grounded at 1.30 pm this afternoon. The coastguard requested the Ramsgate inshore and all weather lifeboats to launch. Once the lifeboats were on scene, an assessment was made and it was decided that due to weather and tidal conditions the best course of action would be to airlift the five men off the vessel. All five were wearing lifejackets. An RAF rescue helicopter from Wattisham was scrambled and the five men were airlifted from the vessel and taken to Manston Airfield. Nicola Goodban, Dover Coastguard Watch Manager says: “The weather on scene is south westerly force 5-7 so a decision was made, in the interests of safety, to winch the five men off the yacht. The lifeboats are still on scene and are hoping to recover the yacht as the tide rises.”

A man has been rescued from a yacht tender this evening, after his yacht caught fire and he sustained burns fighting the fire. Solent Coastguard was contacted by the mans wife at 5.30 pm this evening to request assistance for her husband. He had been on board his yacht, which was on a mooring off Marchwood, when the vessel caught fire. After attempting to put the fire out, the man left his yacht and boarded the yachts tender. He then called his wife, who in turn contacted Solent Coastguard. The Coastguard liaised with Southampton Ports who sent their harbour launch out. Solent Coastguard also requested the Calshot RNLI lifeboat to launch and scrambled the coastguard helicopter. Southampton Coastguard Rescue Team also attended the scene. The harbour launch took the dinghy in tow and towed the casualty and dinghy to shore, where they were met by the helicopter which airlifted the casualty to Southampton landing site, for onward transportation to Southampton General Hospit...

Just after 2 o’clock this afternoon Falmouth Coastguard received several 999 calls after a red flare was spotted between Falmouth and the Helford River. Falmouth Coastguard sent the volunteer Coastguards from Falmouth Coastguard Rescue team to search the shoreline and the RNLI All-weather Lifeboat and Inshore Boat from Falmouth to search the water. The Royal Navy Rescue Helicopter from RNAS Culdrose was also sent to join in the search. In heavy seas with poor visibility, and with the support of the Tanker Cape Daly which was anchored in Falmouth Bay, the inshore boat quickly located one kayaker who had capsized and was in the sea. He told the crew of the Inshore Lifeboat that a second kayaker was also missing. He was found minutes later by the helicopter out of his boat and in the water. He was winched from the water by the helicopter and both kayakers were then flown to hospital in Truro with suspected hypothermia. The Falmouth All-weather Lifeboat was able to recover both kayak...

Just after midday today, Solent Coastguard received a telephone call to report two people in the water, opposite the Queens Hotel on Brighton seafront. Both people, a young 13 year old female and her father had been attempting to retrieve their Jack Russell dog. The Coastguard helicopter based at Lee on Solent was immediately scrambled and the Brighton RNLI inshore lifeboat was asked to launch, and the Shoreham Coastguard Rescue Team were immediately sent to the area. An ambulance was already on scene. They were joined by Bright beach office staff. The sea conditions were still rough from an overnight gale, although the winds were decreasing. Fairly soon after the girl was recovered from the water to the ambulance whilst the second person was spotted about 30 metres offshore near the pier. As the man had been washed through the end of the pier it took a short while for the inshore lifeboat to recover him due to the conditions near the pier, and he was then airlifted after being ...

Coastguard Rescue teams have been call out this evening to help the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) transport Home Care Works to the elderly on the Isle of Lewis. Stornoway Coastguard received a call for assistance from the Emergency Planning Officer of the Council at 5:15pm today asking for the use of the Coastguard 4x4 vehicles after an estimated 4 inches of snow fell on the island during the afternoon. Coastguard Rescue Teams from Stornoway and Ness are taking Home Care Works to the elderly and infirm who require daily care visits. Ness Coastguard are serving the West side of the island with the Stornoway Team driving the carers to the villages around Stornoway.    Watch Manager, Martin Collins said: “The heavy snow that lasted for nearly 4 hours this afternoon has made driving conditions very poor across the Western Isles today. The Coastguard Rescue Teams are trained to drive in these conditions and we are happy to assist the other emergency servi...

Four fishermen have been rescued this evening from a 58 foot wooden Fishing Vessel ‘Karen’, after hitting rocks near the entrance to Ardglass Harbour and taking on water.   The crew of the Fishing vessel had prepared their liferaft, as the vessel was in danger of sinking. Belfast Coastguard received a Mayday call at 5:54pm from the Newry registered vessel, which operates out of Ardglass, and immediately sent the Southdown and Portaferry Coastguard Rescue Teams to the scene. The launch was requested of the RNLI Portaferry inshore lifeboat.   The Irish Coastguard Rescue Helicopter was tasked but was later stood down. Steve Carson, Watch Manager, Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, said: “The crew aboard the fishing vessel were rescued by the inshore lifeboat and then taken to Ardglass Harbour where they received medical attention; one of the crew has since been taken to Downpatrick Hospital . It is imperative to always ensure you are carrying the correct saf...