Channel Islands Airsearch – Operational Activities During 2013
05/01/2014
On behalf of CIAS, I am pleased to distribute the following Annual Report by Commander Colin Ferbrache OBE, Chief Officer, covering the period of 2013 up to the evening of 3rd November when Lions’ Pride suffered a forced landing whilst on service.
‘Up to the beginning of November we had 28 calls for service, all of which were responded to: of those, 6 were stood down prior to take-off and 22 were flown, an increase over the last three years with 9 missions flown during 2010, 11 in 2011 and 19 in 2012.
This year a total of 35 hours 40 minutes was spent on service ranging from sorties of just 20 minutes to one of just under 4 hours. The searches have been varied, although those for persons at risk on land adjacent to the coasts have remained relatively high. The infra-red equipment was of particular use during a search for 4 persons reported as washed off their vessel off Sark, two were located using the equipment on the Bec de Nez reef. After a report from Brecqhou residents of loud voices being heard coming from the north coast of
the island, the aircraft repositioned and the camera picked up hot spots enabling the Search Director to direct the rescue crews in their RIBs to the casualties to recover them. The rescuers reported that it was extremely
difficult spotting the casualties even using searchlights.
Other sorties included the mystery of a MOB (Man Overboard) from a French yacht off Les Hanois, but not reported until arrival in St Peter Port; a sailing yacht and RIB found with no one onboard, a ditched light aircraft off Jersey and searches for a body and a liferaft spotted in the water. In most cases the search areas were large for which the aircraft is ideally suited when compared to the time it would take to cover the same areas using surface vessels.
In all, the aircraft flew 70 hours; additional sorties being needed to train up new crew members as well as maintaining general currency and not least with Infra-Red training. In addition, the aircraft participated in a number of exercises with the Police, Civil Protection and Guernsey Lifeboat. The result of all this activity is a good level of expertise across the likely scenarios that we are likely to face and with a crew structure having a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.
Our work during the year consisted of the following:-
Agencies and Calls
Guernsey MRCC - 6
Jersey MRCC - 6
Cross.Ma (Jobourg MRCC) - 2
Cross.Co (Corsen MRCC) - 3
Guernsey Police - 3
Jersey Police - 2
Types of Service and Numbers
Persons at risk, inland and coast - 5
Vessels/craft Overdue - 2
Possible person(s) in water - 3
Ditched aircraft - 1
Man Overboard/missing from vessels - 8
Vessel indistress/sinking/sunk - 1
Distress beacon search - 1
Investigate floating liferaft - 1
Searches involving Lifeboats - 14
Searches involving other vessels - 8
Searches involving helicopters - 6
Airsearch relies on a large number of people devoting time and effort in ensuring the service functions effectively. All are to be thanked for their contribution, whether as a member of the crew, trustees, friends or supporters throughout the Islands. In addition, we appreciate the continuing support from St John Ambulance and Rescue Service in providing our telephone call out system through their Ambulance Control Centre.
Dealing now with the future, Airsearch looks forward to being back in the air in 2014, initially with a basic visual search aircraft but to be followed by the middle of the year with a the far more capable “Interim Aircraft”. This will be fitted with upgraded equipment over that in Lions' Pride and in particular an infra-red set up that is some 3 or 4 generations more advanced. It will enable us provide once again an effective search capability in and around the Channel Islands ever flexible to the needs of the rescue authorities.’
Derek Short, Chairman of Trustees, said ‘Commander Ferbrache’s detailed Report demonstrates the flexibility, increase and extent of services and thus the urgent need for ‘The Lifeboats’ Eyes in the Sky’ to be returned to service without undue delay.’
Captain Brian Nibbs
Public Relations Officer/Trustee CIAS
5th January 2014
Tel: 01534 856550 Mobile 07797 717604 Email: brian.nibbs @gmail.com