Guernsey Coastguard coordinated the rescue of a sailing yacht experiencing severe rigging failure and communication difficulties east of Guernsey this afternoon.

At 3:53 p.m., Guernsey Coastguard was alerted to the 11 metre sailing vessel Sovereign, which had suffered a broken mast approximately 12 nautical miles South West of Guernsey. Initial VHF communications with the casualty vessel were heavily broken and intermittent. Guernsey Coastguard established telephone contact with the crew, who confirmed that the yacht was completely dismasted with six people on board.

Given the vessel’s rigging failure and the challenging communication dropouts, Guernsey Coastguard immediately tasked the St Peter Port RNLI All-Weather Lifeboat to launch. A PAN PAN urgency broadcast was also transmitted to alert any nearby vessels to the casualty’s position, though no other vessels were in the immediate vicinity at the time.

While the lifeboat was en route, the yacht’s crew successfully managed to recover the collapsed rigging and mast safely onto the deck and confirmed that the hull had sustained no damage. Fortunately, all six occupants remained fit and well with no injuries reported.

The St Peter Port Lifeboat arrived on scene, established clear communications with the Sovereign, and safely escorted the vessel and its crew back to port.

30th May 2026

The ILB Harrold Hobbs, B-943, returned to Guernsey on the MV Trinity, was launched at 10:30 and less than 4 hours later, was called out to an incident.

Guernsey Coastguard report

A busy afternoon for Guernsey Coastguard on Friday began with the deployment of the Coastguard Drone Team to the south-west of Guernsey to assist in the search for a missing person. The individual was subsequently located safely by other search assets.

Shortly afterwards, at approximately 1150 hours, Guernsey Coastguard received a Mayday call from a vessel in the eastbound traffic lane approximately 25 miles west of Alderney. The casualty vessel reported that a crew member had fallen and sustained significant injuries, with concerns also raised that the individual may have been suffering from a more serious underlying medical condition.

Communication with the casualty vessel was initially hampered due to the distance involved, the crew’s efforts to care for the casualty, and technical difficulties on board. Guernsey Coastguard subsequently broadcast a Mayday Relay requesting assistance from nearby vessels and tasked the launch of the Alderney All Weather Lifeboat. Given the potentially serious nature of the casualty’s condition, the French Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was also contacted to request the deployment of a rescue helicopter.

As a result of the Mayday Relay, a nearby vessel diverted to assist and recovered the casualty before proceeding at best speed towards Guernsey.
Shortly after 1300 hours, the French rescue helicopter arrived on scene and lowered paramedics onto the assisting vessel to begin advanced medical treatment of the casualty.

At approximately 1330 hours, the casualty was transferred onto the Alderney Lifeboat to facilitate a safer winch transfer back to the helicopter. The casualty was subsequently flown to Guernsey Airport, where St John Ambulance personnel, who had been alerted by the Coastguard, met the aircraft and transferred the casualty to hospital for further treatment.

Following the transfer, the Alderney Lifeboat remained with the casualty vessel to assess the welfare of the remaining crew members. It was established that the vessel was able to continue safely under its own power back to Guernsey. The lifeboat then returned to Guernsey to refuel.
Upon arrival in Guernsey, the casualty vessel’s crew were met by Coastguard Officers and transported to hospital.

While returning to Alderney, the lifeboat was re-tasked to assist a broken-down vessel approximately six miles north of Alderney. The vessel was taken under tow back to Braye Harbour, arriving at approximately 1830 hours, with the lifeboat having been on service for around six hours.
During the course of these incidents, Guernsey Coastguard also received a further report from a member of the public concerning a male believed to be stranded on the Lihou Causeway during a flooding tide, reportedly in waist-deep water.

At approximately 1425 hours, Guernsey Coastguard requested the launch of the St Peter Port Inshore Lifeboat alongside the Coastguard Drone Team to respond to the incident. The reporting party remained on scene and continued to provide updates to Coastguard operators, later confirming that the individual had safely returned to Lihou Island. Further enquiries established that the male was safe and remaining on the island, at which point both the lifeboat and drone team were stood down.

Duty Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator (SMC) Simon Granger said:
“This was a busy afternoon which involved numerous emergency response agencies from Guernsey, Alderney and France, and is a credit to the strong working relationships between the neighbouring rescue services.

“Following receipt of the distress call, Coastguard Officers in Guernsey quickly identified the seriousness of the situation and coordinated the deployment of the most appropriate rescue assets to the scene. The response was further assisted by a nearby vessel answering the Mayday Relay and recovering the casualty, which significantly reduced the time taken to get the patient closer to hospital care.

“I would like to thank everyone involved, from the Coastguard operators managing this and several other unfolding incidents, to the crew of the assisting vessel, the Alderney Lifeboat crew, the French rescue helicopter team, and the ambulance and airport staff who assisted with the casualty transfer.

“This coordinated multi-agency response ensured the casualty reached hospital care in the quickest possible timeframe.”

Guernsey Coastguard coordinated the response to a French sailing yacht experiencing difficulties off Havre Gosselin yesterday evening.

At 4:23 p.m., Guernsey Coastguard received a report of a 9-metre French-flagged sailing yacht with three persons on board suffering fouled propulsion and engine issues whilst anchored near the Guillou Passage, off Sark. At the time, there was a strong tidal flow running through the area, deteriorating weather conditions, and fading daylight.

Given the vessel’s position in close proximity to nearby rocks, there was concern that should the anchor fail, the yacht may have drifted into danger.

The Isle of Sark Shipping Company vessel Corsaire de Serq overheard the initial VHF communications and, whilst on passage from Sark to Guernsey, diverted to assess the casualty vessel and provide a situational update to Guernsey Coastguard.

A Sark Sea Fisheries vessel was also tasked to assist; however, due to the strong tidal conditions in the area, towing the vessel would have proved difficult.

Guernsey Coastguard subsequently tasked the St Peter Port RNLI all-weather lifeboat “Volunteer Spirit” to launch and assist the casualty vessel. Lifeboat crew attended the scene, assessed the situation, and established a tow back to St Peter Port safely.

Once inside the harbour, Guernsey Marinas staff took over the tow and safely berthed the yacht within the marina.

Guernsey Coastguard would like to thank all agencies involved for their swift response and cooperation in ensuring the safe outcome for those on board.

Search Mission Coordinator – Kieran Higgs