1126/2024 Mayday transmission

16/09/2024

The Service was called out on the afternoon of Sunday 15th September by CROSS Jobourg Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre after Coastguards in Jersey and Carteret heard "Mayday" stated twice on the marine radio distress frequency, channel 16.

No further transmissions had been received and an accurate triangulation had not been possible but the probable area of origination was thought to be between Jersey, Chausey and the Normandy coast.

French lifeboats had already carried out a limited search, and other vessels had been asked to keep a sharp lookout for persons in distress.

The Service's aircraft Lions' Pride departed from Guernsey at 1645 hrs and proceeded towards the search area.

Visibility was excellent with numerous surface contacts being observed, either by eye or by using the camera. Some of these necessitated the aircraft breaking off from the search pattern to investigate but in every case the contact was ruled out and the search continued.

By 1925 hrs the assigned search area had been covered and Jobourg MRCC was content to release Lions' Pride from the search in order to return to Guernsey Airport where the aircraft was refuelled and made ready for the next service.

An area of approx 550 square nautical miles was searched in around 3 hours.