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Date: 07/12/2024
Saturday 7th December, 6:30 pm – RCC Norfolk contacts RCC Bermuda having received a report from a concerned member of the public regarding the safety of the U.S. sailing vessel WANDERER which departed Norfolk, Virginia for Bermuda on 2nd December with 2 crew. The boat had been in contact with friends ashore via High Frequency Single Side Band (SSB) radio a few times per day during their voyage but had missed the last few scheduled radio communication calls. The yacht's ETA at Bermuda was Sunday 8th December, however as the vessel was not reporting as expected, RCC Norfolk undertook to broadcast Enhanced Group Call satellite messages to shipping in the area and Bermuda Radio undertook similar 'lookout' broadcasts using NAVTEX and SSB radio voice broadcasts. A few hours later WANDERER contacted Bermuda Radio directly on VHF radio having heard Bermuda Radio's maritime safety information broadcasts. The skipper explained that their planned communications schedule was not followed due to a technical fault resulting from heavy weather. All concerned parties were updated and the yacht arrived safely in St George's Harbour early on Sunday afternoon.


Date: 06/12/2024
Friday 6th December, 6:30 am – United States Coast Guard Rescue Sub Center San Juan, Puerto Rico contacts RCC Bermuda following detection of an unregistered satellite distress beacon which had been activated some 400 miles South of Bermuda in San Juan's area of responsibility. Based upon the RCC Bermuda database for visiting yachts, the EPIRB was determined to be registered to the Polish sailing vessel POESTERD, a 43 foot sloop which left Bermuda on the 2nd December with 1 person onboard. RCC Bermuda was able to send RCC San Juan detailed vessel, crew and safety equipment information which led to them diverting a nearby merchant vessel to the satellite beacon distress position as there was no other means of long range communications. At 10:30 am the Liberian registered fruit juice tanker ORANGE OCEAN laden with a cargo of orange juice arrived on scene to find the yacht on fire. SEE PHOTO LINK https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3987879/coast-guard-tanker-ship-orange-ocean-rescue-boater-from-vessel-on-fire-sinking/ The ship launched their fast rescue craft and transferred the yacht's skipper, a Polish national, from the burning yacht. The single handed sailor was uninjured and remains aboard the ship as she continues to her next port of call in Santos, Brazil.


Date: 28/11/2024
Thursday 28th November 2024 – 4:05pm – Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre receives a 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) satellite distress alert from the 31 foot commercial fishing vessel BLACK FISH. The distress signal is detected in the vicinity of Argus Bank approximately 22 miles southwest of Bermuda. Using the EPIRB contact details on file, Bermuda Radio is able to telephone the fishing boat's designated emergency contact ashore who confirms that the vessel is indeed fishing offshore with 3 persons onboard. Bermuda Radio is unable to directly communicate with the vessel via VHF radio or cell phone and with no vessels in the area detected on radar or AIS the rescue centre commences Urgency Broadcasts on marine VHF radio for any vessels in the area to keep a sharp lookout for the fishing boat or other signs of distress. Local fishing vessels REEL ADDICTION and PARADISE ONE respond to Bermuda Radio's broadcasts and the REEL ADDICTION proceeds from Challenger Bank to the EPIRB position, arriving on scene at 5:35pm and finding the BLACK FISH disabled. The REEL ADDICTION takes the BLACK FISH in tow arriving back at Ely's Harbour by 10:00pm that evening with the PARADISE ONE and a RBR-Coast Guard vessel standing by to assist should the situation deteriorate. [ Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre note: the possession and use of a registered 406 MHz EPIRB by this fishing vessel was a determining factor in assuring a good outcome to this oceanic incident, allowing for a quick response by others and the avoidance of a protracted search in deteriorating weather which may have led to a worse outcome. ]


Date: 24/11/2024
Sunday 24th November 2024 – 2:25pm – Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre received reports of an overdue Kite Surfer who had been surfing from Somerset Long Bay, and had not been seen for over 2 hours, Bermuda Radio commenced Urgency Broadcasts on Marine VHF for any sightings or information, and commenced tasking the RBR Coast Guard and Police Land Units to assist with searching for the missing person, at 3pm the Missing Kite Surfer had returned to Somerset Long Bay, having drifted to Dockyard, he then took a Taxi back to Somerset Long Bay to retrieve his belongings from the beach.


Date: 24/11/2024
Sunday 24th November 2024 – 4:15pm – Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre was contacted by the US Coastguard at RCC Norfolk, requesting any information on the 42ft Sailing Vessel CEOL MOR with 1 person onboard, which had departed Norfolk, Virginia and was bound for North Carolina. A concerned family member in the UK had raised concern, having not heard from the vessel as per an arranged communications schedule. The US Coastguard had been conducting searches for the vessel using C130 aircraft without success and had reached out to RCC Bermuda in the chance they may have altered plans to come to the Island. On Thursday 28th November at 05:30am Bermuda Radio established VHF radio communications with the inbound Sailing Vessel CEOL MOR, who had diverted his passage plan to Bermuda due to Weather Conditions off the US East Coast, the single handed sailor arrived safely into St Georges Harbour at approximately midday and was advised, how much concern and effort had been made following his diversion and loss of communication with family members ashore.


Date: 22/11/2024
Friday 22nd November 2024 - 1:42pm - Bermuda Radio received a Mayday Call on Marine VHF channel 16 from two sail training dinghies each with 2 crew onboard that had both capsized in the Great Sound after departing Mangrove Bay enroute back to Dockyard. Bermuda Radio is able to use its systems to pinpoint their position and tasks a Royal Bermuda Regiment-Coast Guard vessel from Boaz Island to the incident scene to assist. All four persons wearing personal flotation devices are quickly recovered from the water and the two capsized sailboats were also later recovered without further damage. Higher than expected winds in passing squalls were a contributing factor, but the vessel occupants being in possession of a marine VHF handheld radio allowed for rapid determination of their location using radio direction finding by the Rescue Coordination Centre as well as particulars about their predicament being quickly communicated to Bermuda Radio and other vessels in the vicinity.