Press Releases
2008
June
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ABANDONED VESSEL PROMPTS SEARCH FOR LONE CREWMAN
At 11.15 this morning (Monday) Falmouth Coastguard received a call from a fishing vessel, the Maria Louise reporting that they had come across an abandoned vessel floating 23 miles West North West from Trevose Head. read more..
CHIEF COASTGUARDS COMMENDATIONS FOR GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND OXFORDSHIRE FLOODING INVOLVEMENT
Members of the Burnham on Sea, Weston-super-Mare, Cleevdon, Portishead and Sharpness Coastguard Rescue Teams will be awarded with Chief Coastguard commendations next Tuesday for their efforts during the Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire floods. read more..
YACHT JAMS EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
This evening (Sunday) a yacht in the English Channel was unknowingly broadcasting continuously on VHF Channel 16. The signal was effectively jamming all emergency communications in mid Channel and affecting the ability of Portland Coastguard, Brixham Coastguard, Solent Coastguard, CROSS Jobourg (France) and Guernsey Coastguard to handle emergency traffic. read more..
A ship carrying scrap steel and bound for Gent, Belgium is currently aground three miles off the coast between Larne and Glenarm, Northern Ireland. The Antigua and Barbuda registered ship, Antari, has seven crew on board, all of whom are uninjured. There appears to be no damage to the 87 metre Antari and no pollution. read more..
Coastguard rescue officers have been working alongside ambulance crew tonight to help a 17 year old cyclist who fell down a ravine in Christchurch. read more..
FISHING BOAT SKIPPER SENT TO JAIL FOR DEATH OF TWO CREWMEN
At a hearing today in Belfast, Conrad Zych, the Owner/Skipper of the fishing vessel Greenhill was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for each charge of unlawful killing of Donall Gibson and Connor Bogues, with sentences to run concurrently. Conrad Zych had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing on 20th May 2008. A joint investigation by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency was conducted into why the Greenhill had grounded and subsequently sank near the entrance to her home port of Ardglass. The two crew men were lost and to date only the body of Donal Gibson has been recovered. read more..
MAJOR SEARCH FOR TEENAGERS MISSING IN A DINGHY
At half past nine this evening Wednesday - MRCC Forth was alerted by a 999 call from a worried mother reporting her 14 year old son and another teenager may have been swept out to sea in a small dinghy. Subsequent 999 calls from other worried parents confirmed that there were 3 children and a 53 year old man in a six foot craft who had left Pease Bay at six oclock. read more..
25 June, 2008
COASTGUARD TEAMS RESCUE MAN OFF HILL
At ten oclock this evening, Tuesday, Shetland Coastguard received a 999 call from one of a group of walkers reporting that one of the group had sustained an injury and was unable to proceed any further. read more..
INFLATABLE DEATH OFF YARMOUTH IN OFFSHORE WIND
A major search is taking place this evening off Great Yarmouth for an 18 year old non swimmer who was blown out to sea in an inflatable dinghy. His 10 year old brother managed to swim back to the shore but his older brother has not been found. read more..
WATER USERS GET CAUGHT OUT IN STRONG WINDS
Swansea Coastguard coordinated two incidents within twenty minutes of each other in the Mumbles area when a boat went aground and a kite surfer got into difficulty in Gale Force 8 winds and rough sea conditions. read more..
A search that was ongoing throughout the night for an overdue sailing yacht has now been stood down after it was located 17 miles South East of Lerwick by the Nimrod aircraft. read more..
SEARCH FOR YACHT BETWEEN SHETLAND AND NORWAY
Shetland Coastguard are currently coordinating a search between the Shetland Isles and the coast of Norway for a sailing yacht that has been reported overdue whilst taking part in a race. read more..
80FT CLIFF FALL RESCUE IN ABERDEEN
At half past five this evening Aberdeen Coastguard received a call from Grampian Police reporting that a female had fallen 80ft down cliffs at Cove Bay, 3 miles South of Aberdeen, and was in need of urgent medical assistance. read more..
18 June, 2008
SCOTTISH SPCA HONOURS ANIMAL CHAMPIONS – HM COASTGUARD
Scottish SPCA members and guests will gather today (Wednesday 18 June) at the Societys Annual General Meeting where the expertise and support of Her Majestys Coastguard will be honoured. read more..
FISHING VESSEL TOWED TO SAFETY IN BRIXHAM
At 04.25 this morning Brixham Coastguard received a call from a fishing vessel, the Harvester, reporting that she was taking on water with three persons on board 2 nautical miles from the Mew Stone off Dartmouth. read more..
17 June, 2008
9 FOREIGN SHIPS UNDER DETENTION IN THE UK DURING MAY
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced today that 9 foreign flagged ships were under detention in UK ports during May 2008 after failing Port State Control (PSC) inspection. read more..
15 June, 2008
A man is currently receiving medical attention at Poole General Hospital after being recovered from an incident where his car went over a cliff at Chapmans Pool, near Swanage, early this morning. read more..
SEARCH FOR MISSING DIVERS IN LOCH TORRIDON
Two divers in Loch Torridon have been found safe and well after concern was raised as they were late surfacing. read more..
A 76 year old man is now safe and well with his family after a large-scale joint search with the Police has now successfully been concluded in Lyme Regis. read more..
US COAST GUARD SEARCH FOR CHARITY ROWERS
Concern was raised for the four crew on the 29 foot Atlantic Ocean Rowing Boat Scilly Boys. Falmouth Coastguard received a iridium call at 01:00am from one of the crew aboard the rowing boat, stating they had capsized, 420 nautical miles east of Cape Cod and all four (himself included) crew were in the two cabins of the boat. read more..
CHIEF COASTGUARDS COMMENDATIONS FOR NAPOLI INVOLVEMENT
The efforts of the Beer and Exmouth Coastguard Rescue Teams and two Station Officers during the MSC Napoli incident are to be recognised in a ceremony on Saturday where Chief Coastguard Commendations and Letters of Appreciation are to be presented. read more..
On 31ST January 2002 the fishing vessel Charisma sank in Carlingford Lough, Northern Ireland, causing the death of crewman Mark Spiers. read more..
DOLPHINS WASH ASHORE AT PORTH CREEK
At half past eight this morning Falmouth Coastguard were informed that several dolphins had become stranded in a creek on the Percuil River near St. Mawes. read more..
YACHT CREW SAVED OFF LINCOLNSHIRE COAST
At eight oclock this morning a number of almost unintelligible mobile phone calls were received by Lincolnshire Police as well as Yarmouth and Humber Coastguard. It was eventually deduced that a yacht was in distress off Lincolnshire, at the very limit of mobile phone range. read more..
COASTGUARD RESCUE MAN FROM MUD
At three minutes to four this afternoon MRCC Swansea received a 999 call from a man that had become stuck up to his knees in the mud at Barry Old Harbour. read more..
SEARCH FOR MISSING PERSON ON THE ISLAND OF YELL, SHETLAND ISLANDS
Shetland Coastguard were alerted by local police to an elderly missing person on the island of Yell on Wednesday 4 June at 1120 local time. The Mid Yell Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) were tasked to assist in the search, however using the Coastguard helicopter Rescue 102 was not an option at that time due to persistent thick fog. read more..
FIRST UNDERWATER VIEW OF NORTHERN IRELAND COASTLINE UNVEILED
An European funded project to survey the seabed off the northern coast of Ireland, parts of which have not been surveyed since Victorian times, has started to provide some spectacular results showing underwater cliffs, reefs, caves and what may have been a lagoon. The wreck of a ship which sank in 1918 has also been discovered. read more..
Exercise Unicorn, a major maritime exercise to be conducted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) with BP PLC is scheduled to take place in Aberdeen on Tuesday 10th June 2008. read more..
CLYDE COASTGUARD WARNS OF DANGERS OF INFLATABLE BOATS AND TOYS AT THE BEACH
Clyde Coastguard has issued a stark warning to families who use inflatable toys at the beach after a woman and three children (2 boys aged 5 and 8 and an 8 year old girl) were rescued from a dinghy which was being blown offshore at Ayr. read more..
