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Joint Rescue Coordination Centre News

22 Dec 2023

Cruise Ship Towed to Germany After Power Outage in North Sea Storm

Maud (File photo courtesy Port of Dover)

Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud is being towed to Bremerhafen in Germany after a violent North Sea storm shattered windows on the bridge, causing a power outage late on Thursday, Danish authorities said on Friday.The ship's 266 passengers and 131 crew members were safe, a spokesperson for the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (DJRC) told Reuters, adding that a vessel from civil rescue firm Esvagt had managed to connect a tow line to the cruise ship."An Esvagt ship is towing it slowly towards Bremerhafen in Germany at around 8-9 knots," the spokesperson said.The vessel was sailing some 260

21 Dec 2023

Cruise Ship Loses Navigation Ability in North Sea During Storm

Maud (File photo courtesy Hurtigruten Group)

The Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud suffered a power outage after a rogue wave shattered windows on the bridge while it sailed in the North Sea, causing the vessel to lose its ability to navigate, Danish authorities and the ship's owner said on Thursday.The 266 passengers and 131 crew members were safe, according to the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre."There is no power on the ship. The main engine is functioning but the navigation systems and radars are not," a spokesperson for the centre…

14 Mar 2023

Survivors of Libya Shipwreck Brought Ashore in Italy

Image Credit: Christian Gohdes / Sea - Watch

Seventeen migrants rescued after the latest deadly shipwreck in the Mediterranean were brought ashore by the Italian authorities on Monday as Italy faced criticism for its response to the crisis.Those rescued were taken to the Sicilian town of Pozzallo, Italian newswire ANSA reported, and said they were all originally from Bangladesh.Thirty people were feared drowned after the boat they were traveling in from Libya capsized in bad weather on Sunday, Italy's coastguard said.The tragedy follows a Feb. 26 shipwreck near the southern region of Calabria, in which at least 79 people died.

04 Nov 2022

Dutch Coast Guard Gets Two Bristow Helicopters for SAR Operations

©Dutch Coast Guard

Helicopter services firm Bristow Group said Friday it was embarking on a new 10-year relationship with the Dutch Coastguard, delivering helicopter SAR operations for people and communities across the country through its affiliate, Bristow Netherlands B.V."At 1 p.m. Central European Time on November 4, 2022, two new custom-designed SAR bases officially went on-line at Den Helder and Midden Zeeland Airports, where specialist Bristow teams with SAR-configured helicopters now stand ready to respond to emergency events and critical government taskings in all weather…

18 Apr 2022

'Lifting Incident' - Saipem's Giant Crane Vessel Tilts in Norway with 275 People Aboard

Saipem 7000 - File Photo - Credit:Saipem

Saipem 7000 - File Photo - Credit:Saipem Saipem 7000, Saipem's giant semi-submersible crane vessel, tilted in a fjord in Norway with 275 people aboard, the Norwegian news website vg.no has reported.According to the website, which cited eyewitness accounts,  "loud bangs" could be heard on Thursday morning before the 197.95 meters long vessel, with a free deck area of 9,000 m2, listed in Åmøyfjorden outside Stavanger.VG also said there were 275 people on board, and said that everyone was accounted for, according to police.

11 Jan 2022

Canadian Coast Guard Begins Great Lakes Icebreaking

CCGS Samuel Risley performs icebreaking duties on the St. Marys River, Ontario in March 2021. (CNW Group/Canadian Coast Guard)

The Canadian Coast Guard's (CCG) annual icebreaking season on the Great Lakes, which provides assistance to the shipping industry, is underway. Working in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) District 9, the CCG has two icebreakers assigned to the Great Lakes for the entire winter season: CCGS Griffon and CCGS Samuel Risley. These vessels are supported as required by additional CCG vessels after the St. Lawrence Seaway reopens in March 2022.Although the St. Lawrence Seaway, Welland Canal and Sault Ste.

04 Mar 2021

Video: Thirty-one Rescued from Sinking Vessel off Eastern Canada

(Photo: 
Joint Rescue Coordination Center Halifax)

Thirty-one fisherman have been rescued from a fishing vessel that caught fire and began to sink off the coast of Eastern Canada.At 7:05 p.m., Tuesday, the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Halifax notified watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard First District Command Center that the 143-foot Atlantic Destiny was disabled with a fire on board, and was taking on water in 26-foot seas and 35-mile-per-hour winds.A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing crew…

08 Jan 2021

Canadian Coast Guard Begins Icebreaking on the Great Lakes

The CCGS Samuel Risley performs icebreaking duties on the St. Marys River, Ontario in March 2020. (Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

The Canadian Coast Guard’s annual icebreaking season on the Great Lakes, which provides assistance to the shipping industry, is underway. Working in partnership with U.S. Coast Guard District 9, the Canadian Coast Guard has two icebreakers assigned to the Great Lakes for the entire winter season: CCGS Griffon and CCGS Samuel Risley. These vessels are supported as required by additional Coast Guard vessels during the spring icebreaking season.Although the St. Lawrence Seaway, Welland Canal and Sault Ste.

25 Mar 2019

Cruise Ship Reaches Port after Casualty, Rescues

A luxury cruise ship that had set sail with almost 1,400 passengers and crew aboard arrived at a port in Norway on Sunday after narrowly escaping disaster when its engines failed during a storm.The Viking Sky sent out a mayday signal on Saturday as it drifted in rough waters in the Norwegian Sea to within 100 metres of land.Rescue services airlifted 479 people, hoisting them one-by- one on to helicopters, before the weather subsided on Sunday and a tow could begin. Many of them were senior citizens.A total of 1,373 people had started the voyage and about 900 people were still on board as the ship arrived at the port of Molde on Norway's west coast."It was very nearly a disaster.

09 Nov 2018

NYK Carrier Rescues Yachtsman

Shiosai, a bulk carrier operated by NYK Bulkship (Atlantic) NV., rescued a distressed yachtsman on October 23 (local time) off the coast of Western Australia.While Shiosai was navigating in the southern Indian Ocean, the vessel received a call from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) of Australia to cooperate with a search and rescue operation for a distressed yacht.The ship immediately headed to the instructed area, and in bad weather and heavy swells rescued a man in a yacht whose mast had broken.The rescued yachtsman is in good health and will disembark at the next port.NYK Bulkship (Atlantic) NV is responsible for the commercial aspects, including chartering, financial, and the operation of more than 40 vessels (owned and chartered) which include dry bulkers, woodchip carriers.

08 Nov 2018

Norwegian Oil, Gas Plants Restart after Ship Collision

Sture Terminal (Photo: Equinor)

An oil tanker and a Norwegian navy frigate collided off Norway's west coast on Thursday, injuring eight people and triggering the temporary shutdown of a North Sea crude export terminal, Norway's top gas processing plant and several offshore fields.The frigate, which recently took part in a major NATO military exercise, was aground and tilting on one side, live television pictures showed. The Norwegian military was attempting to save the ship."We are working on stabilizing the vessel…

09 Mar 2018

Stena Line, Swedish Club to Test Emergency Plans

Photo: The Swedish Club

The Swedish Club and Stena Line have completed a major Emergency Response Training Exercise, designed to test how Stena’s own emergency procedures integrate with those of the authorities and support services in the event of a major incident. The round table exercise took place last week at the Swedish Sea Rescue Society headquarters, with over sixty expert contributors taking part. The drill, jointly planned and conducted by the Club and the Swedish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC)…

27 Feb 2018

Six rescued from Sinking Vessel off Bahamas

A good Samaritan sailing vessel rescued six people from a sinking sailing vessel early Monday 14 miles west north west of Hog Cay, Bahamas. Watchstanders with the Coast Guard 7th District Command Center received a 406 megahertz personal locator beacon distress alert and the Halifax Joint Rescue Coordination Centre received a report from the sailing vessel Serenity, within the same area as the PLB alert, stating they were taking on water and abandoning ship. The Serenity crew stated they had two adults, four children and two dogs aboard. The watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew to search. The airplane crew arrived on scene and saw an SOS signal from the Serenity crew.

01 Jan 2016

Fatality on COSL Rig Confirmed

Statoil and COSL have confirmed report from the police sources that one person has died as a result of the breaking wave that hit the drilling rig COSL Innovator today. Two other people were injured and are receiving medical treatment ashore. The rig is now heading to shore under its own power, while evacuation takes place. COSL and Statoil were notified at 5 pm on Wednesday 30 December that three people had been injured when a breaking wave hit COSL Innovator. Statoil and COSL have mobilized their emergency response organizations. COSL Innovator is under contract to Statoil at the Troll field in the North Sea, west of Bergen. The rig had been taken off the well as a result of the bad weather before the incident occurred.

30 Dec 2015

Heavy Wave Strikes Rig, Injures Three in the North Sea

(Image: Statoil)

At 5 pm on Wednesday December 30, Statoil and COSL were informed that three persons had been injured on the COSL Innovator when a heavy wave hit the rig. Statoil and COSL have mobilized their emergency response organizations. The semi-submersible drilling rig COSL Innovator is under contract to Statoil on the Troll field in the North Sea, west of Bergen. The rig had been taken off the well due to heavy weather when the incident occurred. The wave has also caused damage to the rig's accommodation module.

26 Oct 2015

Update: Whale-watching Vessel Sinks, Five Dead

Leviathan II (File photo: Jamie's Whaling Station and Adventure Centres)

Five Britons were killed when a Canadian whale-watching boat sank on Sunday, and authorities were still searching on Monday for a sixth person feared drowned in the frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia. The boat, carrying 24 passengers and three crew, sank on Sunday afternoon, sparking a rescue effort by the Canadian military, Coast Guard, fishermen and mariners from a nearby Aboriginal community. Five people were confirmed dead and one was missing, while 21 were rescued.

06 Sep 2014

USCG, Good Samaritan Rescue Boater on S. Lake Michigan

The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan found and rescued a man Saturday morning, who had been missing since Friday afternoon on lower Lake Michigan. The Coast Guard is not releasing the man’s name and there is no imagery of video available. At 6:25 p.m., Friday, a watchstander at Coast Guard Station Calumet Harbor in Chicago received notification from a woman reporting her husband missing in Lake Michigan. The wife reported that he was to sail in his 24-foot boat from Diversey Harbor in Chicago and arrive in New Buffalo, Michigan, at 4 p.m., but had not arrived or contacted her. The man did not have his cell phone or a marine radio aboard the boat, but did have a life jacket and emergency flares.

20 Jul 2014

USCG Helps Rescue 2 on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

The U.S. Coast Guard transported two injured hikers from a remote part of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to Victoria at the south end of the island, Saturday. A Port Angeles-based MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew safely hoisted the two men, both were reportedly suffering from broken ankles and one with additional head trauma, and transported them to the Canadian coast guard base in Victoria where they were successfully delivered to awaiting EMS personnel. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 13th District Command Center in Seattle received a request from personnel at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria, at 7:30 p.m., requesting the assistance of a helicopter crew to transport the injured men…

15 Jan 2014

Ice Fisherman Airlifted Off Lake St. Claire

Lake St. Clare rescue: Photo courtesy of USCG

A U.S. Coast Guard rescue crew from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit hoisted an injured man off of Lake St. Clair in Ontario, Canada, after the all-terrain vehicle on which he and three friends were riding overturned. The group was on an ice fishing trip when the accident occurred about 2 miles from shore. Controllers at the Coast Guard’s 9th District Command Center received a request for assistance from Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton, Ontario , which was relaying the report from the Ontario Provincial Police.

27 Oct 2013

Coastguard Detroit Medevacs Laker Crew Member

Laker medevac: Photo courtesy of USCG

The air crew assisted Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton, Ontario, with the medevac of a Canadian man injured aboard the 730-foot 'Algoma Enterprise', which was passing through the Pelee Passage in Lake Erie. The 57-year-old crew member was reportedly suffering from severe bleeding. After conferring with the on-duty flight surgeon, the 9th District's SAR controller directed the launch of an air crew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit, located on Selfridge Air National Guard base in the Northern suburbs of Detroit.

02 Aug 2013

Swedish Coastal Radio Network Modernized

The Swedish coastal radio network is a cornerstone of search and rescue activities in Swedish waters and is considered to be the mariner’s communication lifeline. The Swedish Maritime Administration is now investing some SEK 50 million to improve and modernise the system. “The coastal radio network is a fundamental part of our maritime infrastructure. The planned investment will improve its stability and increase maritime safety even further”, says Jon Granstedt, the Administration’s President of Construction and Engineering.

05 Jun 2013

Ulstein Donates $3.4 Million for SAR Vesel

Ulstein Group announced that it will donate approximately $3.4 million to Norwegian Sea Rescue (Redningsselskapet) to fund 60% of the cost of a high-speed search and rescue (SAR) boat. The 20- meter SAR craft - to be delivered in 2015 - will be named RS Idar Ulstein in memory of Ulstein’s long-time CEO and Chairman of the Board who passed away in 2012. Once in service, the RS Ida Ulstein will play a role in ensuring the safety of seafarers and recreational users of Norway’s coastal waters as they become increasingly busy year-on-year.

21 May 2012

Danish Sailors Rescued 650 Miles NE of Bermuda

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 5th District command center coordinated a rescue approximately 650 miles northeast of Bermuda with the assistance of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Denmark and a Finnish naval vessel. The Coastguard received a notification from RCC Denmark, stating that there were two people aboard the sailing vessel Petra in need of assistance as the keel of the boat had become loose and the vessel was flooding. The Coast Guard watchstanders, in Portsmouth, sent out an enhanced group call and asked the captain of the Finnish Navy Ship Pohjanmaa to assist. Watchstanders had also used AMVER, the Automated mutual-assistance vessel rescue system, to be in communications with other vessels’ crews in the area in case their assistance was needed.