2003 Service calls

Port St Mary Lifeboat Services - 2003

This year the All Weather Lifeboat was been tasked 11 times and the crew crew assembled a further 3 times

The ILB was tasked 5 times ( 2 of which were with the ALB)

	DATE		NATURE OF INCIDENT
14	24 Nov	ALB	16:40 UTC. ALB called to aid the 30.5m long Irish beam trawler "Paramount" WD150, whose steering had failed in bad weather approximately 22 miles SE of Port St Mary. A tow was established just after 18:00 UTC however it took nearly 7 hours to tow the trawler back to Port St Mary were it was manoeurved to the breakwater with great difficulty by the skillful boat handling of Coxn Mick Kneale. Weather SSW force 7
	31 Oct	ALB	08:08 UTC.Euromanx Airlines reported problems with the aircraft's undercarriage whilst on final approach to Ronaldsway . Both the ALB crew were paged for immediate launch however the flight safely landed before the boats got under way. Stood down at 08:10 UTC
13	4 Oct	ALB + ILB	16:20 BST. The ALB and ILB crews were tasked to proceed to the Calf Sound were several people had observed a jetskier in difficulties after losing his craft. Both boats arrived on scene within twelve minutes and found that the person had been recovered by another jet skier and was uninjured. A short search was conducted for the jetski but in the prevailing seas could not be found. The lifeboats were released at 16:45 BST. The jetskier had hit a large wave at speed and had lept some 10 to 15 foot into the air where he decided to part company from his craft. Weather on scene was NNW 6 to 7. The craft was recovered reasonably undamaged off Groudle some 17-18 miles from the Calf two weeks later.
12	18 Sept	ALB	10:15 BST. The ALB was launched to the aid of the yacht "Viking" with 2 persons on board. The vessel had fouled her rudder and propeller on a large piece of fish netting and was adrift just to the south of the Carrick Rock. The yacht was quickly sighted and a tow line passed to her crew. She was brought into Port St Mary within 20 minutes of the ALB slipping from its moorings. Weather fair, wind variable force 2.
11	13 Sept	ALB	13:25 BST. The ALB was launched to the aid of the 32ft long yacht Sefton Venture from Dundalk with a crew of six on board. She contacted Liverpool Coastguard to say they were in difficulties south off the Chickens Rock in rough seas. Their engine had failed and they wished a lifeboat to standby. 14-26 "Gough Ritchie II" located the yacht 6 miles south of the Calf of Man pitching heavy in rough seas and tide. A Line was passed to enable the yacht to be brought round into the wind so that the main sail could be hosited. The yacht then sailed to Port St Mary with a lifeboat escort. At Port St Mary the yacht was strapped alongside the lifeboat and manouvered to a berth alongside the breakwater. Weather fine ; wind S force 6
	5 Sept	ALB	18:32 BST. The lifeboat crew was called to board the ALB on her moorings and be at immediate readiness to proceed to Castletown Bay or Derbyhaven. A passenger flight from Ronaldsway to Edinburgh had recently taken off and reported to the Control Tower that their under carriage may not have retracted. It over flew the airfield and was visually checked - the undercarriage appeared to have retracted properly. It was decided to land again but a full scale meregency was declared with the airports fire units and those from Douglas and Castletown as well as ambulance in attendence. The aircraft landed safely and all units including the lifeboat were stood down at 18:40 BST.
10	4 Sept	ALB + ILB	20:40 BST Liverpool Coastguard requested PSM ALB and ILB launch to assist in a search for an overdue women sea angler who had left Port Erin at 09:30 BST that morning. Weather fair, wind variable 1 to 2.
9	30 August	ILB	13:05 BST. ILB was launched to aid the small yacht "Cygnet3" . The outboard motor failed 150 yards south of PSM breakwater.By the time the ILB arrived on scene a passing motorboat had offered assistance and had started to tow the yacht into harbour. . The ILB escorted and took over the tow at the entrance to the inner harbour in order to take it back to its moorings. Weather fine ; Wind NW2
8	4 Aug	ALB	16:05 BST . The skipper of the Port St Mary scallop trawler "Elizabeth C" reported to the Coastguard that one of his crew had collapsed and wasn't breathing. He had tried mouth to mouth and required immediate medical assistance for his crewman. Liverpool CG paged for Port St Mary lifeboat and alerted RAF Seaking helicopter Rescue 122 from RAF Valley to proceed immediately. The fishing vessel was approx. 10 miles south of Port St Mary. In addition, the Royal Naval fisheries protection vessel, "Dumbarton Castle" which was 8 miles from the scene offered to assist. Just after 16:30 the helicopter arrived on scene and the lifeboat a few minutes later. The RAF winchman / paramedic was winched down to assess the fisherman and advised an immediate evacuation to Nobles Hospital, Douglas. The man was airlifted and flown to the NSC sportground were an ambulance was waiting.Two lifeboatmen transfered to the "Elizabeth C" to assit in bring the boat back to Port St Mary ( one crewmember was the son of the skipper). The lifeboat was then relaeased and returned to harbour. Unfortunately the fisherman was pronounced dead at the hospital. It is understood that this was due to natural causes. The sympathy of the lifeboat crew and all those involved with the Port St Mary lifeboat is extended to the family of the fisherman involved.
7	5 July	ALB	09:27 BST Liverpool CG paged Port St Mary lifeboat crew to go to the aid of the 32ft long diveboat "Castaway" out of Douglas, which had sheared all the mountings to its engine in a position approx. 11 miles south of Port St Mary. It was adrift with 5 person on board (4 of which were divers on their way to a wreck dive) and was not in any immediate danger. Relief lifeboat 52-44 "Hiberina" arrived on scene at 10:40 BST and a towrope was passed. Both vessel arrived back at Port St Mary breakwater at 14:45 BST. Weather fine, wind NW force 3.
6	1 July	ALB	05:40 BST. Relief lifeboat 52-44 "Hiberina" was called out to go to the aid of the yacht "Cox 27" was had fouled its propellor with fish netting during the night. They had 2 persons on board and were on passage from Preston, Lancashire to Stranford, NI., via a stop at Port St Mary. With calm conditions they had motored most of the way when in the middle of the night the prop had been fouled when some 12 miles from the Island. They tried to clear the prop without success and agreed with the Coastguard to have the lifeboat tow them in at first light. The lifeboat located them 5 miles south of PSM at 06:15 BST and a tow rope was passed. Both boats arrived back at Port St Mary breakwater at 07:30 BST. Weather fine, wind NE force 2.
5	10 June	ALB	17:45 BST. The Hon. Sec. was informed by Liverpool Coastguard that a Coastguard patrol unit at the Calf Sound had sighted what appeared to be a kayak capesize in rough seas to the SW of the Sound. It was thought that there was no body with the kayak however the Coastguards wished to be certain that it wasn't recently used (thus leading to the question of a missing person). It was agreed that PSM ALB and Port Erin lifeboat would be both tasked. PSM ALB located the kayak at 18:00 BST approx. 1/4 mile SW of Spanish Head. It was apparent that the kayak had been in the water some time. The crew of Port Erin lifeboat recovered it from the water and took it back to Port Erin. Weather fine; Wind WSW force 6-7
4	22 May	ILB	20:37 BST. A member of the public observed a sailing dinghy with two on board capesized, in difficulty close to Cartre rocks on the north side of Port St Mary bay and rang 999 to obtain the Coastguard. By the time the ILB crew had assembled a RIB from the IoM yacht club was observed to be in attendence but very close to breaking surf on Cartre. The ILB was launched to ensure the situation was in control. The IoM yacht club safety boat had already picked up the two dinghy sailors and ferried them ashore. It had returned to the yacht to tow it back to harbour. The ILB stayed on scene whilst the tow was organised. Wind WSW4
3	13 April	ALB	07:47 BST. Crew for ALB paged after Liverpool Coastguard is advised that an EPIRB (distress beacon) signal has been detected approximately 2 miles west of Bradda Head, IoM. As crew is assembling the Hon. Sec. received a further update that the satellite pass detected the signal approx. 12 miles west of the IoM. At 08.02, the ALB "Gough Ritchie II" is just underway from the breakwater. A distress signal on 121.5 Mhz had been detected on the VHF direction finder immediately astern of the ALB. So Cox'n Richards continued going astern (in the direction of the open sea) for 50 metres when the signal had swung to immediately abeam the lifeboat. Enquiries with the crew of a yacht moored outside two MFV's reveal that they have spotted an EPIRB in the water immediately astern the MFV which is alongside the breakwater wall. The EPIRB is hauled out of the water by a yachtsman using a boathook and passed to a lifeboatcrew member and DLA Williams who were standing on the breakwater. They deactivate the EPIRB and Liverpool Coastguard is advised. The ALB was ready for service again at 08:06 BST after what is probably the first service were a lifeboat reversed all the way to its 'casualty' !! This service probably ranks also for the shortest distance covered !!
2	3 April	ILB	14:00 BST. ILB launched to assist a 16 foot long motor boat whose outboard engine had failed off Fort Island, Derbyhaven and was rapidly drifting southwards with one person and their dog on board. The ILB located the boat some 3/4 mile south of Dreswick Point, Langness (some 2.25 miles from where it had broken down). A tow was arranged and the boat taken back to Derbyhaven. The ILB returned to station after a rough passage back some 2 hours 40 mins after being called out. Weather. Wind NNW 6
1	6 March	ALB	22:51 UTC. A single red parachute flare was spotted by 3 members of public off Port St Mary. The ALB crew was paged and asked to standby the lifeboat. At 23:09 UTC the Coastguard requested the lifeboat proceed to sea to conduct a radar search from Port St Mary harbour towards the Sugarloaf rock, Bay Stacka. A spent flare case was discovered by a member of the public on Kallow Point and passed to the Hon. Sec. The lifeboat was recalled at 23:20 and was back at her breakwater berth 5 minutes later. Weather overcast; winds WNW force 7.
	26 Feb		An Army Air Corp twin engined Islander (used for parachute training) with two persons on board reported problems with one engine. They made an emergency diversion to Ronaldsway airport and made their final approach on one engine. At 15:48 UTC the ALB was put on immediate readiness but it was stood down 10 minutes later once the aircraft had safely landed .