French Rescue off the Lizard?
 

BBC News - Aquarius sinking: Search for missing sailor called off

Apparently a British registered tug sank 45 miles off the Lizard yesterday, however the search and rescue was coordinated and carried out by the French Coastguard, with the surviving crew being taken to a French hospital.

Given the proximity to the UK, and also to Culdrose, why would the French be coordinating this rescue, and then taking the crew to France? Any issues with British SAR / Coastguard that would result in the French taking the lead, or were they just in the vicinity? Also, why airlift the crews to France rather than drop them off in the UK?

Who cares?

The crew are safe that's the main thing.

I guess the family of the missing sailor care very much. This vessel sunk just over 24hours ago and I believe the search was called over overnight for the missing person who is believed to come from the South-west of England

excellent example of French SAR

45 miles off the Lizard is a fair way across the channel. Perhaps its was in the French region for SAR responsibility. Perhaps French helos would be quickest on scene and French hospitals were closer than English ones in terms of getting casualties to aid asap...?

I suggest there is unlikely to be a conspiracy here. Why not ring Falmouth CG and ask - after all, you pay their wages!!!



Another point to consider. No doubt if, purely as one example, a British vessel sank 10 miles off the French coast at the western end of the Channel the British media, especially regional media, would report it as being 50 miles off the coast of Cornwall rather than mention the distance to France!







I would also add that the French have plenty of "long range" maritime experience, and still have assets to do it!!

Hi Biggus,
Totally agree and in fairness to the French they did an excellent job and were very quickly on the scene.

It is looking like the missing crewman might be from further up country. I will edit my first post

In fairness to our local radio, Radio Devon has always reported this incident as being west of Brittany

Thanks all. Not knocking anyone, other than I guess the reporting of the story and my assumption that 45 miles off the Lizard is closer to the UK than it is to France!

Glojo

My point was the crew were rescued, who cares if it was the French or the British or indeed any other nation. First nation able did it.

If it was 45nm south of the Lizard, then the French coast is closer.

No conspiracy theory here, move along please.

lj101
 

The OP cares, obviously.

But then it's good to see you twaddle in print-even though you have absolutlely nothing to contribute-good for you that is.

I expect you're the loudest voice in most bar discussions too.

Empty vessels and all that...

S

CHILDREN....I'LL STOP THE CAR!!:rolleyes:

Just to keep the arguements down. The vessel was in the French sector so the French RCC had primacy. Yes Culdrose would have been slightly quicker to get to the scene but it was the French call and by the time they would had made an official request to the UK ARCC the time difference would have been negligible.

The first rule is make a decision and a plan and get something going rather than think too long and forget to get a helo airborne.

and given the absence of availability in North Wales a few weeks ago, one can understand the French doing it themselves (yes I know Culdrose isn't Valley, but they're still all Sea Kings....)

Milo,
You're obviously fishing, so I'll bite. as the previous post said, it's the French sector and don't worry about Culdrose; there are plenty of assets here to carry out SAR. Don't forget during the fastnet disaster we were launching more than just 771 cabs.
Valley doesn't have the spare assets we have and they couldn't have done anything about that.
As for the Seaking; don't forget that the Yanks are buying over a hundred carson worked S61 models for the future medium lift gap they have, not bad for an aircraft first flown so many years ago.

Cheers now

"during the fastnet disaster we were launching more than just 771 cabs"

That was a long time ago and at least four of the cabs came from Yeovilton...
That probably couldn't happen now

No I wasn't fishing - twas meant as a straight statement. Irrespective of the actual state of the Culdrose fleet, that lack of availability at Valley must inevitably set question marks in others minds regarding the UK's SAR capability

Milo,
Yes you're right, it was a long time ago and there are less helicopters at Culdrose now than then, but the fact is that the 771 Seakings, even now, provide more cover than the proposed civilian option (delayed) could. All the helicopters that fly from here are fitted with hoists (including the baggers) and if the need was such I can assure you that every cab possible would be made available, in whatever role it could fill. The tasking during the Fastnet event was rapid, unplanned and dangerous. The fact that someone thought to call on our other main helicopter base for backup was good management. I was only a lowly plane captain (Grubber lad) at the time but it was BUSY.
You are right about the potential SAR capability, but ask the question AFTER it goes civvy. I personally can't remember a time that a 771 cab didn't fly around here at least once a day, even if it was only the daily SAR CTF and I grew up here.
Cheers now

Sygzy

I guess the OP did care and did not mean to cause offence so if I offended him I apologise. The RAF cutbacks ref SAR have hit the way we do our business hard and the use of international assets is vital for the success of the majority of our Atlantic crossing. We could not operate without them actually. I guess my point was thank goodness they were rescued who ever achieved the task.

When you served ( I assume you did otherwise you wouldn't post on the military forum) perhaps things were alot better.

Which RAF SAR cutbacks? The withdrawal of 2nds is the only significant change I can think of.

For as long as I can remember we have had to do without a well trained dedicated long range military SAR asset for our trails across the Atlantic which, having been in a little Harrier was a little disconcerting, and left us completely reliant on other nations to come and find us some time later if the worst had ever happened.

That would be a major RAF SAR cutback.

In terms of SAR support for FJ trails I would offer the following observation.


In the days when dedicated SAR provision was provided, in terms of a Nimrod MR2 that formed part of the overall trail package, on numerous occasions when the Nimrod went u/s the trail elected to continue without dedicated SAR cover.



That is fact, the next bit might be more contentious and open to contradiction, but I believe the decision to press on was often based on the insistence of the senior FJ officer present, usually a Sqn boss.

The removal of a dedicated MPA SAR escort was not based on cutbacks but as a result of a risk assessment and prioritising of Nimrod MR2 tasking.

As Biggus has already said, an unserviceable Nimrod was very rarely a show stopper.