Blackpool Ferry Rescue
 

All,

BBC News are reporting 14 crew airlifted off the RoRo ferry grounded off Blackpool in force 10 winds. Must have been quite sporting.

Only caught 2 minutes or so of News 24 so have no idea who to congratulate.

Regards,

DeepC

From my sources 3 rescue helicopters involved, One eventually night stopped at Blackpool and redeployed early this morning. Fantastic job by the crews - the weather was worse than 'orrible here yesterday during the day - but out over the water last night must have been worse.
If I had a hat I'd take it off to you! :D :ok:

Rescue info
 

The rescue info can be found here.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/weather/Story
Congratulations to all 3 helicopters and a number of RNLI boats were part of the opertion.

Conditions reported to have deteriorated (!) around 5am and attempts to refloat the stranded vessel by the remaining crew onboard had to be abandoned, lifeboats standing by apparently unable to approach, so helicopter rescue was resummoned and all souls now lifted off (safely).
The work of the (RAF, Royal Navy and Coastguard) SAR crews in such appalling winds must be sincerely complimented.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image..._ferry_203.jpg
Video:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/c...1&bbwm=1&asb=1
More at:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/7221386.stm

Congrats to all the Crew involved. Apparently expert flying under extreme hazardous conditions with mission accomplished with all lives saved.
Helmets and Hats Off!:ok:

Well done to all brave rescuers! :ok:

As an ex Merchant Mariner myself, I would like to echo everyones comments. Well done to everyone, air crew and the VOLUNTEER lifeboat crews who all put their lives on the line to help others.:D:ok:

Rob

See the location here:- http://www.aisliverpool.co.uk/showsh...mmsi=308912000

From:- http://www.aisliverpool.co.uk/curren...map=Fleetwood_

May I reiterate Olde Devonian's comments about taking my hat off if I had one.

I live a few houses down from the promenade and when initially hearing a helicopter flying over, I thought how insane to be out flying in these conditions. Having looked out of the window after hearing a helicopter a few times more, my thoughts quickly changed as I saw a Sea King gracefully hoving into position over my house, an incredible sight it was too.

Only to hear the news this morning, not that it was just 'scamp the dog' that fell into the drink but that a coordinated rescue requiring skill, effort and numerous parties involved with many lives at risk did I feel humbled.

A BIG well done all.

Stornoway S92 Busy As Well
 

The boys and girls from Stornoway have carried out an impressive rescue off St Kilda using their shiny new S92, well done to all those involved.

Is this the first major rescue in bad conditions for the new S92s?

Busy night for everybody it would appear.

Congratulations to all involved with the rescue - no lives lost and everyone home safe and sound. Best of luck pulling that ferry off the bank! :D
P.S. Where were the rescue crews from and what type of aircraft involved?

nice work :D:D:D

Pipe and Slippers time......
 

Well done to all involved - both in the air and on the ground.
Excellent display of skill and courage by all.......but you're still SBWs
:ok:

Heroic work by all involved, but what the hell was the ship doing out there?

If as a commercial pilot I had done the equivalent I would have been lambasted. Dover, Felixtowe etc. were all shut, why were they out there putting themselves and others at risk. The weather was well forecast and certainly should not have caught anyone out.

Do they not have any kind of operational limits, if so they must surely have put to sea in excess of them.

Luckily noone was hurt.

Great jemax lets just blame the Captain – a concept not generally supported here?
How about waiting to see what the boys at the MAIB (our AAIB) come up with first.

Felixstowe may have been closed, but Heysham I presume wasn't closed (although anybody who has been there normally thinks it should be)

Different Companies have different operational limitations – some have none. Some ships have specific operational limitations, some have none.
Masters still have huge discretionary powers.

Well done the SAR boys, not a lot the marine assets could do.

Some have no operational limits, astounding! The various operational manuals I have to adhere to leave almost nothing to discretion.

I was not meaning to blame the captain, but I do question the operational framework in which he operates, if there are no operational limits there should be. If they are and he chose to depart within them they would appear to need reviewing.

I guess my point is that the weather that was expected to be severe was well forecast, I have to question why they were out there operationally. If it was aviation the first suspect is the pilot making poor weather decisions, yet I heard no debate about why they were out there in the first place.

Accept you were not blaming the Master.

We do have a raft of rules and regulations we need to adhere to (and the shed load of associated paperwork), but it all tends to be guidance rather than prescriptive.

There has always been the argument in the marine industry that there are too many variables to come up with tight prescriptive rules.

There are prescriptive rules, you can only discharge raw sewage over 12 miles from the coast and must be steaming at greater than 4 knots, which in this case the Master may have been in breach of !

I will stop now as this deviates from the thread

Just outstanding !!!! Well done to all the aircrew and all people involved.

....U need big "cojonas" to fly in this s*** weather

Yes very well done indeed by the crews.. :ok:

The weather at Felixstowe and Dover is hardly relevant when you are taking a ferry from N Ireland to W Coast UK but when the met forecast shows a zebras ********** with a pressure of 950mb you would think twice before setting sail!!

I know the Valley aircraft was involved and suspect that Prestwick and Waterford or Dublin also responded. !!!!ty night, good result:)