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Distress call from disabled Yacht to the South of Guernsey

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“Spirit of Guernsey” with the 12 meter Yacht in St Peter Port harbour 23-04-2026 Photo by Tony Rive

At approximately 2035 hours on Thursday 23 April 2026, Guernsey Coastguard received a Mayday distress call from a yacht.

Initial communications with the vessel were poor; however, Coastguard Officers were able to establish that the yacht was located to the south of Guernsey and required assistance. Using radar at the Signal Station, the vessel was identified and its position was confirmed with those on board. The yacht was located approximately two miles south-east of St Martin’s Point. It took some time to determine the exact nature of the distress.

At 2044 hours, the St Peter Port Lifeboat was requested to launch.

Guernsey Coastguard maintained communications with the vessel and established that the yacht had suffered damage earlier in the passage and was no longer able to sail, relying instead on engine power. Subsequently, the engine failed and, due to the prevailing sea conditions, the crew were unable to carry out remedial action.

The All-Weather Lifeboat Spirit of Guernsey departed St Peter Port at 2059 hours and arrived on scene at 2109 hours. The lifeboat crew assessed that the yacht was unable to make way under its own power, and a tow was established.

The yacht was successfully towed back to St Peter Port, arriving safely at 2147 hours.


Duty SAR Mission Coordinator Simon Granger commented:
“The two sailors on board the casualty vessel experienced a failure earlier in the day which left them unable to sail. They continued their passage under engine power, however this also failed, and due to the sea conditions they were unable to work on the problem.

They made the decision to call for assistance before the situation deteriorated further. Thanks to the swift response of the lifeboat crew, the vessel was located quickly and brought safely back to St Peter Port.”

RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Assists Disabled Vessel off Herm

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Yesterday evening, (7th April 2026), Guernsey Coastguard coordinated a response to a disabled vessel reported north of
Alligande rock, on the west coast of Herm.

The initial report was received at 8:40pm, from the 22 foot vessel, that it had broken down and that there
was two persons onboard.

Despite attempts to fix the problem themselves, it soon became apparent that the craft would need
external help and at 9:00pm, the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat was launched and tasked to assess the situation
and provide any assistance required.

Upon arrival at scene, it was quickly discovered that the mechanical issue could not be rectified at sea
and therefore, a tow was established.

Both vessels returned safely to St Peter Port, arriving at 9:40pm. The inshore lifeboat was back on station
at 9:55pm.

There were no reported injuries, and no further assistance was required.

TEENAGE BOY RESCUED AFTER CLIFF INCIDENT AT SOLDIERS BAY

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Guernsey Coastguard assisted in a multi-agency rescue operation yesterday evening after receiving reports of a teenage boy stranded on cliffs at Soldiers Bay.

At approximately 5:20 pm, Guernsey Coastguard received a call from the Joint Emergency Service Control Centre (JESCC) reporting that a teenager had become stuck part-way down the cliffs and was unable to move to safety. The Guernsey Fire and Rescue, Cliff Rescue Team and Police had already responded to the 999 call and Guernsey Coastguard were requested to launch the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) and the Coastguard Drone Unit to assist with locating and rescuing the stranded teenager.

Upon arrival, Guernsey Fire & Rescue personnel established a technical rope rescue system from the cliff top, while the RNLI’s inshore lifeboat stood by below to provide safety cover and assist if required. Working closely with Guernsey Coastguard’s Drone Unit, the teams quickly located the boy and were able to reach, secure him, and bring him safely down to the bottom of the cliff for final extraction by ILB, which arrived back into St Peter Port harbour at 7:20pm

The teenager was assessed by the Fire & Rescue Cliff Team member and Lifeboat crew at the scene and was found to be uninjured.

Kitesurfer Assisted at Fort Le Marchant

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Guernsey Coastguard coordinated the response to a kitesurfer reported to be in difficulty off Fort Le Marchant yesterday afternoon (12th February 2026).

At 12:50 p.m., Guernsey Coastguard was alerted by a member of the public who reported concern for a kitesurfer experiencing difficulty in the water.

The Coastguard immediately initiated a response, tasking the RNLI inshore lifeboat.

The Spirit of Cooperation, the station’s Class B inshore lifeboat, was launched on service at 1:14 p.m., arriving on scene at 1:29 p.m. Lifeboat crew quickly made contact with the casualty in the water and recovered him safely aboard.

Following assessment by the lifeboat crew, the exhausted individual did not require further medical treatment and was landed safely ashore. The lifeboat returned to station and was made ready for further service at 1:56 p.m.

Guernsey Coastguard would like to thank the member of the public for raising the alarm promptly. Early reporting enables a swift and effective response. Water users are reminded to carefully assess weather and sea conditions before entering the water and to ensure appropriate safety equipment is used at all times.

Kieran Higgs – Search Mission Coordinator said, “This was a positive outcome thanks to the quick actions of a vigilant member of the public and the professional response of the RNLI lifeboat crew. We would always encourage anyone who sees someone in difficulty at sea to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard immediately.”

Vessel assisted off St Martins Point

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At approximately 08:35 on Sunday 8 February, Guernsey Coastguard received a call from a local vessel reporting that its propeller had become fouled and that assistance was required.

The vessel was located around 100 metres off St Martin’s Point and was drifting with the wind and tide towards the south coast. There was one person on board.

The St Peter Port Relief Inshore Lifeboat Spirit of Cooperation was requested to launch at 08:39 and was underway from St Peter Port by 08:53. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 09:00, where a crew member was transferred to the casualty vessel to provide assistance.

A tow was established shortly after arrival, and the vessel was safely towed back to St Peter Port, arriving at 09:49.

Duty Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator Simon Granger commented: “This situation was resolved quickly thanks to the prompt response of the lifeboat crew and the early call for assistance from the casualty. The decision to deploy the anchor was also crucial in preventing the vessel from drifting onto the shore.”

“Spirit of Cooperation” relief Inshore Lifeboat on a recent training exercise – photo by Tony Rive

Arrival of relief Inshore Lifeboat

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After a weather delay, MV Trinity delivered B-946 ‘Spirit of Cooperation’ this afternoon (22nd January 2026). B-946 was craned into the water and B-943 craned out at approx 18.30. B-943 “Harold Hobbs” will return to Poole on Sunday, depending again on weather. 

B-946 is now on a mooring in the QE2 due to the coming weather.