Mike Puplett News

A seventh whale has been reported in shallow water off the coast of Mundesley, Norfolk this morning, February 9. A member of the Mundesley Coastguard Rescue Team contacted the UK Coastguard just after 10 a.m. this morning to report the whale was 300-400 yards off shore. The whale, which is the seventh whale in that area, was reported to be alive and thrashing about in the shallow water. UK Coastguard has alerted Happisburgh and Mundesley Coastguard Rescue Teams who are currently on the shoreline keeping a watchful eye over the position of whale. British Divers Marine Life Rescue, the Zoological Society of London, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Receiver of Wreck and the local council have also been informed.

Humber Coastguard is coordinating the search for the missing skipper and four crew of the trawler, Ocean Way. The trawler was last heard from about 100 miles east of the Farne Islands. The emergency beacon from the vessel began transmitting yesterday and the coastguard has since been trying to contact the skipper and have also been broadcasting mayday relay messages which have been requesting all shipping to look out for the missing crew. A RAF rescue helicopter on scene found two people alive in the water and winched them to safety. The Norwegian helicopter Rescue 1 will arrive on scene to relieve the RAF rescue helicopter. Mike Puplett, Humber Coastguard Watch Manager said yesterday, “We will continue searching for as long as necessary.

In the Philippines a large scale rescue of ferry passengers, on the other side of the world, a British fishing boat crew is airlifted to safety, and a man is plucked from rough seas off Aberdeen breakwater. A rescue team from Philippine Coast Guard search and rescue vessel, BRP EDSA II (SARV-002) evacuated 132 passengers from the MV Our Lady Of All Nation after the inter-island ferry ran aground at Danajon Bank, Bohol. The crew of the sinking 18-m fishing vessel RACHEL JAYNE lll  sent out a Mayday as they took to a liferaft 26 miles ENE of Tynemouth Piers.

At just after 7.30 pm this evening, Humber Coastguard were alerted by VTS Humber to a crewman falling overboard from a small cargo ship moored alongside on the River Trent. The MV Sea Melody was working ropes, when the crewman appeared to become entangled and was pulled overboard. He immediately disappeared from view. RAF Rescue Helicopter 128 from RAF Leconfield was immediately re-tasked from a previous incident, and was on scene quickly. The helicopter utilized his FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) camera to seek a heat source from the casualty. A Coastguard team from Hull was also tasked to the area to assist with the search. Although the helicopter searched extensively to his fuel endurance, and the Coastguard team searched the shore side and surrounds, nothing could be found.

At 6.30 a.m. today Tyne Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) reported to Humber Coastguard that the fishing vessel Grenaa Star had been in collision with South Pier, Tynemouth. The fishing vessel had begun taking in water and was in need of immediate assistance. Escorted by other local fishing vessels, and the Port of Tyne pilot launch Collingwood, the fishing vessel was able to beach itself on Little Haven Beach. Humber Coastguard requested that the two Tynemouth RNLI lifeboats launch and they have now transferred two salvage pumps to the vessel to deal with the ingress of water. Sunderland Coastguard Rescue Team are also on scene and are keeping watch and reporting back to the Coastguard.