Falmouth coastguard helps coordinate yacht rescue

In the week that the man behind the plans to downgrade Falmouth Coastguard Station paid a visit three people, including a couple from Kent, have been rescued from a sinking yacht off Sri Lanka after contacting the centre. The 14 metre UK registered yacht Baccus, which was 200 miles east of Sri Lanka, contacted Falmouth Coastguard directly yesterday evening for medical advice following an injury to the skipper of the vessel.

The two British nationals from Kent, plus one other from Belgium, on board asked for medical advice from the duty doctor at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth after the skipper of the vessel suffered an injury to his arm. Conditions at the scene were force 11 winds (violent storm) with high seas and heavy swells. Medical advice was passed in a connect call established by Falmouth Coastguard, in what seemed a routine incident. However, less than an hour later the yacht again contacted Falmouth Coastguard by satellite telephone to say that, in the horrendous conditions they had lost steerage of the yacht and were taking water. With an injured skipper and the pumps on board the yacht not working they declared mayday in consultation with Falmouth Coastguard.

Falmouth Coastguard immediately contacted the Sri Lankan authorities in Colombo to advise them of the distress of the Baccus. Working with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo and MRCC Mumbai in India, Falmouth Coastguard made a satellite broadcast to vessels in the area of the Baccus to help. More than ten commercial vessels responded to this broadcast.

Falmouth Coastguard then tasked four merchant vessels and a Sri Lankan Naval vessel to proceed to the distress position and appointed Marchen Maersk as on scene commander. Via a satellite phone call Falmouth Coastguard requested the yacht to activate its emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) and position reports were relayed to merchant vessels and Sri Lankan coastguard.

In very difficult conditions and using several of the merchant vessels the three people were evacuated and are now safe and well. The vessel has been abandoned and the casualties are now aboard the merchant vessel Maersk Surabaya bound for Port Klang Malaysia. Falmouth Coastguard Watch Manager Marc Thomas says: “Satellite broadcasts for assistance and positional information from EPIRB alerts allow us to get assistance to the vessel quickly. Utilising the good relationships we have with both Sri Lankan and Indian coastguard it was possible to rescue all three of the crew of the Baccus and we are delighted that they are now safely aboard the merchant vessel bound for Malaysia.”