coastguard

Rescuers new faster helicopter
Coastguards have taken delivery of the first of three helicopters, which can travel faster and further to rescue casualties at sea. The AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters, designed as search and rescue SAR aircraft, will be based at Portland, Dorset and Lee-on-the-Solent. The two at Lee-on-the-Solent will operate 24 hours a day, the other, at Portland, on a 12-hour daytime basis. Contractors CHC Helicopters will also manage a service based at Stornoway. Winch speed The AW139 can fly at a cruising speed of 140 knots with a top speed of 167 knots, compared with the 110 knot cruising and 130 top speed of the previous Sikorsky helicopters used by the coastguard. The AW139 also has a 40% increase in winch speed and has a maximum flight time of three hours and 20 minutes. Peter Cardy, chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency MCA, said: These new aircraft will be able to fly more quickly, and will be able to fly farther to people in distress at sea than those currently in ...

Tow plan for stricken cargo ship
Coastguards have said attempts will be made later to tow back to shore a cargo ship from which 20 crew were rescued off the Devon coast on Sunday night. The crew members were rescued after the Greek-registered Ice Prince got into difficulties about 35 miles off the Start Point. MCA spokesman Fred Caygill said salvors were on the way to the vessel which is carrying 5,260 tonnes of timber. Mr Caygill said it had not been decided where the stricken ship will be taken. It depends where we can get her in, he said. Twelve of the crew were airlifted to Portland by coastguard helicopter and eight others were taken by the Torbay lifeboat to Brixham. Dark on board The MCA said an emergency call was made from the Ice Prince at about 1900 GMT on Sunday. Crew reported that the ship, which was heading for Alexandria in Egypt, was rolling heavily in very poor weather, 35 miles south east of Start Point. At 2015 GMT, the MCA said the coastguard received word that a 41-year-old Greek crewman ...

Sailors die after trawler sinks
Two French sailors have died and four others are missing after a French fishing vessel sank about 50 miles 80km off Cornwall. Two French helicopters were first sent to search for the crew of La P ite Julie at its last reported position south of The Lizard at about 0400 GMT. French authorities said one of seven crewmen from the 24.6m 81ft trawler had been rescued and two bodies found. Two helicopters from RNAS Culdrose have been assisting. One pilot said wreckage could be seen over a wide area. Two empty life rafts were found in the area where the trawler radioed for assistance before sinking. British rescue services were alerted to the incident at about 0700 GMT. Coastguards at Falmouth were contacted by French authorities and the first helicopter from Culdrose was scrambled at about 0730 GMT. Helicopter pilot Lt Chuck Norris said: We arrived at the scene at 0810 to find a French fixed-wing aircraft coordinating the search, and a French heliopcter. We searched about 20 square ...