A survey by Maritime & Coastguard Agency gives a snapshot of disabled people’s experiences on cruise and ferry ships. The survey says that while ferry and cruise ship passengers are more likely to experience problems getting assistance if they have a disability that is not immediately visible.
On 21 May, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, in collaboration with Albania, will launch its first joint operation on the territory of a non-EU country. This will be the first operation of its kind, marking a new phase for border cooperation between the EU and Western Balkan partners. The negotiations on a Status Agreement on border cooperation between the European Border and Coast Guard and Albania started in December 2017.
EMSA Executive Director, Maja Markovčić Kostelac, visited the headquarters of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, where she met with its Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri to discuss collaboration on the development of European coast guard functions and other forms of cooperation between the two agencies.
A German yachtsman was knocked overboard in bad weather seas off New Zealand, when he decided to use his jeans to save his life, Reuters reports. The yachtsman managed to transform his pair of jeans into a life jacket that kept him afloat for more than three hours before being rescued by the coast guard.
On March 12, during night hours the HM Coastguard rescued six crewmembers from a disabled fishing vessel off Lands End in challenging weather conditions. All six members were airlifted, whereas the Coastguard continues monitoring the drifting vessel.
According to the Philippines Coast Guard a crewmember from the foreign merchant vessel ‘Grande Progreso’ allegedly fell in the sea off Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental while underway enroute to Brazil last January 15, 2019. The missing crew member is identified as Mr Dominador Calot Fuentes III, 33 years old and resident of Brgy Baliangao.
The crew of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry, deployed to Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico, detected a vessel on January 7. Watchstanders with Coast Guard Sector San Juan diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Heriberto Hernandez (WPC-1114), who arrived on scene, and embarked 35 migrants. The Coast Guard discovered a backpack with 4 kilograms of heroin floating near the vessel.
On Christmas Day, the French Coast Guard once again picked up illegal migrants from the sea trying to reach England by boat. It would involve a total of six rescue operations in collaboration with the British coastguard, in which approximately 40 people were rescued from the sea.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing for potential incidents involving oil and hazardous materials in U.S. Arctic waters through the U.S. Coast Guard. Its aim is to ensure access to early and on-going information about the nature and magnitude of spills to help with effective cleanup.
MV ‘Tian Fu’ , a Hong Kong flagged vessel, saved Susie Goodall, a British Skipper of ‘DHL Starlight’, after 50 hours vigil on December 7th. Susie sent out EPIRB distress alert from her vessel while competing in the Golden Globe Yacht Race.
