Displaying items by tag: Coastguard
Search for Fisherman in Irish Sea Enters Second Day
#RESCUE - The Irish Times reports that the search has resumed for a fisherman who fell overboard from a trawler in the Irish Sea yesterday.
The crewman of the Kilkeel-registered fishing vessel Zenith was reported missing some nine miles (14.5km) off Clogherhead, Co Louth.
Yesterday afternoon the Irish Coast Guard and Clogherhead RNLI began an air and sea search and rescue effort, assisted by coastguard helicopter and other lifeboats and vessels in the area.
The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.
Coastguard 'Overwhelmed' By Response to Glandore Search Appeal
#NEWS UPDATE - The Irish Coast Guard told RTÉ News that it has received an "overwhelming" response from the diving community to its appeal to join the search in West Cork for two missing fishermen.
Skipper Michael Hayes and crewman Saied Ali Eldin are still missing after the fishing vessel Tit Bonhomme ran aground in rough seas near Adam's Rock at the mouth of Glandore Harbour.
Only one of the six-person crew - 43-year-old Abdul Mohammed – is confirmed to have survived. The bodies of Kevin Kershaw (21) and Attia Shaban (26) were recovered last week, while the remains of Wael Mohammed (35) were found by civilian divers near the wreck site last Sunday.
Coastguard manager Declan Geoghegan said that search teams now have the 48 divers required to conduct an exhaustive search of the wreck area and urged further volunteers not to travel for the moment.
The search will concentrate on the waters between Adam's Rock and Long Point, where much of the debris from the trawler has washed up.
RTÉ News reports that more than 200 volunteers are assisting the coastal search by boat and on land, which is being co-ordinated from the village of Union Hall.
Report into Death of Crab Fisherman Prompts Call for Review of Stability Standards
#MCIB - The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) has recommended a ministerial review of stability standards for fishing vessels following its report into the death of a crab fisherman off Co Cork in January last year.
Gerry Hegarty drowned after a wave struck the crab boat Carraig An Iasc, which was fully loaded with crab pots at the time, causing it to capsize and sending its two-man crew into the water.
Hegarty, who was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) or other buoyancy aid, got into difficulty while attempting to swim ashore with his crewmate and skipper James Fitzgerald, who subsequently raised the alarm.
Lifeboats from Ballycotton and Crosshaven, as well as Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117, were tasked to the incident. Divers from Naval Service vessel LE Emer located the sunken crab boat but no body was found.
A coastguard search of the area continued over a number of days without success. Hegarty's body was eventually recovered on 17 February 2011 at Ringabella Strand in Co Cork.
The MCIB found it probable that the Carraig An Iasc encountered wind or wave action or a combination of both that caused the vessel to heel to an angle beyond which it was able to recover from its loaded condition. The vessel's Code of Practice Declaration of Compliance was valid until 15 July 2013.
The board noted that there have been "a number of incidents caused by overloading boats thus effecting stability", and recommended that the Minister for Transport reviews and revises the stability standards in the current Code of Practice to improve these standards.
It was also recommended that a safety notice be issued to all skippers and owners in the fishing fleet reminding them of their legal responsibility to ensure that all their crew wear PFDs or lifejackets while on deck.
The full report is available to download as a PDF from the MCIB website HERE.
- Crosshaven
- Cork
- Safety
- Fishing
- Ballycotton
- Lifejacket
- Lifeboat
- Marine Casualty Investigation Board
- Coastguard
- Irish Coast Guard
- Skipper
- naval service
- helicopter
- MCIB
- Rescue 117
- personal flotation device
- Minister for Transport
- LE Emer
- standards
- drowned
- crab fishing
- Carraig An Iasc
- Gerry Hegarty
- James Fitzgerald
- PFD
- Ringabella Strand
- Code of Practice
- stability
- overloading
Exclusion Zone Set Up Around Wreck of Fishing Vessel 'Tit Bonhomme'
#GLANDORE TRAWLER – In the interest of safety and to facilitate any search and recovery operations in the vicinity of the sunken vessel the F.V. TIT BONHOMME, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has set up an exclusion zone has been created around the vicinity of the vessel.
Divers are expected to resume the search for five missing fishermen from the vessel this morning.
The vessel lies between Adam and Eve Islands in the approaches to Glandore Harbour, County Cork.
Only vessels and persons authorised by the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) are permitted to enter this area, which lies within a 200 metre radius, centred on the wreck in approximate position:
51° 32'.4 N, 009° 06'.1 W.
Accordingly, for safety reasons, all other vessels in the vicinity are requested to keep clear of the exclusion zone and give this area a wide berth.
The exclusion zone will continue until further notice.
IRCG may be contacted at Valentia Marine Rescue Sub-Centre, tel: +353 (0)66 9476109.
#RESCUE – Naval divers are searching a sunken Irish registered vessel for three missing people off Glandore harbour Co. Cork this morning. An operation is underway after a distress call was made at 6 am. Six people were on board and five are still missing from the vessel 'Bonhomme' that sank in 11m of water. A distress call was made just before 6am. The trawler is understood to have been making its way home in force 7 to 8 south-easterly winds when the alarm was raised. The Coastguard and a number of lifeboats are involved in the search. One crew man has been taken to hospital.
#COASTGUARD - The Irish Coast Guard is among the services that can be contacted through a new emergency text scheme for the deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired, The Irish Times reports.
A pilot for the new www.112.ie service was launched by Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte yesterday. It enables users who are unable to communicate verbally to send text messages to the Emergency Call Answering Service.
The scheme will run till the end of June, operated by BT Ireland, and will in the words of the minister take "a step closer towards parity of access for all to the emergency services".
Users are required to register online before using the service. They can then send texts to 112 specifying the service needed (whether gardaí, fire brigade, ambulance or coastguard), the problem encountered, the county they are in and their exact location.
The programme has been welcomed by the Irish Deaf Society, which says it finally puts deaf people "on an equal par".
The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.
Efforts Continue to Locate Missing Fisherman on the Irish Sea
#MAN OVERBOARD – At 02.29 am, Holyhead coastguard received a call from a fishing vessel to report one of their crew missing, he had been last seen onboard 1.2 miles west of South Stack on the Irish Sea.
A mayday relay was broadcast by Holyhead Coastguard to alert other vessels in the area and RNLI lifeboats were requested to launch from Holyhead, Porthdinllaen, and Trearddur. A rescue helicopter was also scrambled from RAF Valley. Other fishing vessels in the area are also assisting in the search.
The fishing vessel had departed Holyhead at 11.25 pm and the crewman was last seen at 00.45 am, the vessel alerted Holyhead after finding the man missing at 02.29 am.
Holyhead Coastguard has coordinated the fishing vessels, lifeboats and helicopter in a search in Caernarfon Bay covering an area of fifty square miles.
Jim Green, Watch Manager, Holyhead Coastguard said:
Every effort has been made to try and locate this missing crewman.
The weather in the area is North Westerly F4 with a calm sea and slight swell, the water temperature is eight degrees.
The Coastguard say he was not wearing a lifejacket.
Eight Searches at Cliffs of Moher in 2011 for Doolin Coastguard
#COASTGUARD - The Irish Coast Guard's Doolin unit conducted eight searches for missing people at the Cliffs of Moher in 2011, according to The Irish Times.
Doolin officer Mattie Shannon told the paper that six bodies were recovered by the coastguard unit of the cliffs, which are one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country - but have also become a blackspot for suicide attempts.
The Samaritans have put up signs in the area advertising their helpline, while staff at the cliffs' visitor centre have received training for suicide intervention.
A spokesperson for The Samaritans said that the installation of a special phone with a direct line to their anonymous counselling service may also be considered.
The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.
Transfer of Cargo from Stricken Tanker Delayed
#SHIPPING - The transfer of cargo from the damaged oil tanker sheltering at the entrance to Belfast Lough has been posponed for at least two more days.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the 228-metre Germar Companion - which is carrying 54,000 tonnes of vacuum gas oil - was redirected to Belfast after reporting a cracked hull en route from Rotterdam to New York.
The merchant vessel has been sheltering off the Copeland Islands since 16 December, where an official examination recommended removal of the cargo.
Today (31 December 2011) had been the scheduled start date for the move of the tanker's hazardous cargo by ship-to-ship tranfer. But the move has been delayed as the second ship, the BW Seine, is still en route to Belfast Lough.
"It is currently in the North Sea and could take another two days before it reaches the vessel and starts to transfer the cargo," a coastguard spokesperson told the Belfast Telegraph.
The transfer will be managed by specialist company Fendercare Marine in the lough, and could take between 24 and 36 hours. Once finished, the Germar Companion will sail into Belfast for repairs.
Cargo Ready for Transfer from 'Cracked' Ship
#SHIPPING – Plans to remove the cargo of 54,304 tonnes of Vacuum Gas Oil from the merchant vessel 'Genmar Companion' have now been finalised. The transfer will start on 31 December 2011 (weather permitting).
The vessel has been sheltering off the Copeland Islands at the entrance to Belfast Lough since 16 December. It was 40 miles west of Tory Island, Co. Donegal, on its journey from Rotterdam to New York, when the Master reported a crack on its upper deck. This crack did not appear to extend to any of the oil cargo holding structures but, as a precautionary measure, the vessel's Master chose to seek both shelter and advice before continuing passage.
The Bermudan-flagged product tanker made its way to the Lough to enable surveyors to inspect the ship. The inspection, by the owners, a representative of the classification society (American Bureau of Shipping) and the MCA took place on 18 December.
Following this inspection all parties agreed that, as a precautionary measure, the cargo should be removed and the ship repaired. As there are no shore reception facilities at Belfast Harbour for a tanker of this size the only option is to transfer the cargo to another vessel (known as Ship To Ship Transfer).
Preparations for this transfer have been underway for several days and stringent safeguards will be observed throughout the operation to assure the safety of the crew, the environment and other vessels in the area.
Following the transfer of the cargo to the vessel 'BW Seine' the 'Genmar Companion' will enter Belfast Harbour for repairs.
Hugh Shaw, The Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention said:
"Since the 'Genmar Companion' arrived at Belfast Lough I have been working closely with a number of parties including representatives from the Owners and Charterers, Belfast Harbour and the Northern Ireland Environment Group chaired by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
"We are all agreed that transferring the cargo in the Lough is the most sensible course of action. Although this is a fairly routine operation, it would not normally be carried out in the current location.
"This ship to ship transfer will be carried out by Fendercare Marine and the process is expected to take approximately 24-36 hours."
Northern Ireland Environment Minister, Alex Attwood, has been keeping a close eye on the situation. He said
"I have been actively seeking reassurance that there is no threat to our marine environment from this tanker. My officials will be fully engaged with the MCA and the Secretary of State's Representative until the Genmar Companion is safely moored in Belfast for repairs."