Press Notice No: 192-11
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Posted 19:15 GMT

motorcruiser with four people on board broadcast an urgent request for help this afternoon after the vessel struck a submerged object, north of Lundy Island.

The 32 foot motorcruiser Estedor 2 broadcast a pan-pan message which was picked up by Swansea Coastguard at 3.25 pm this afternoon. The coastguard re-broadcast the message to which a passenger vessel and a yacht responded, going to the motorcruisers assistance. The Estedor 2 had started to take on some water, although this was being pumped off by the vessels bilge pumps. The collision had also caused damage to the motorcruisers engines, so Swansea Coastguard requested the Appledore RNLI all weather lifeboat to launch to the vessels assistance. Once on scene, the lifeboat took the motorcruiser in tow to Appledore.

Bev Haigh, Swansea Coastguard Watch Manager says:

All four of the people on board were wearing lifejackets and acted correctly in making a pan pan broadcast on VHF channel 16 as soon as the collision had happened.

Remember that if you have VHF DSC radio equipment on board you can send a distress alert and an accurate position of your vessel to the coastguard with one touch of a button. You must then follow this up immediately with a broadcast on channel 16.




Posted By: Joanne Groenenberg

For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office
023 8032 9401