Two Missing Fishermen Found

jerrytug

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Mark-1

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jerrytug said:
Yes and they were found safe and well.....*after the search had been called off*
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I wonder if the BBC got that right? The CG blog makes no mention of the search being called off. As late as yesterday afternoon they added one helicopter. I know the search had been suspended overnight on at least one occasion but that's not 'called off'.
 
sarabande

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the BBC news website says that their "compass stopped working" and that is why they ended up so far away from land.

Direction of the sun / wind / aircraft contrails / shore lights ??? 45 miles offshore ???
 
oldbilbo

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Just when you though it was safe to.....


Maybe that's what our shy and retiring North Zummerzet forumeer 'Madhatter' is up to, in his new boat....
 
Romeo

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sarabande said:
the BBC news website says that their "compass stopped working" and that is why they ended up so far away from land.

Direction of the sun / wind / aircraft contrails / shore lights ??? 45 miles offshore ???
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Not sure if it was the same where they were, but about 30 miles south I was out on Tuesday night when the Haar came in. Visibility quickly down from 3 miles to about 200m, wind and sea state were pretty confused, and if you are outwith range of the shore you are not going to see the shore lights either. That might explain the initial loss of contact with land. It is just great that they are now getting home.
 
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Timeline:

TWO missing fishermen were today found alive on their boat in the North Sea.


The Evening Express takes a look at how the drama unfolded.

Tuesday 11.30am: A massive search and rescue operation was launched by the coastguard after two fishermen were reported missing off the coast of Gourdon.

Tuesday 2.20pm: RAF search and rescue helicopter joins the coastguard operation, with Police Scotland being made aware of the incident.

Tuesday 3.50pm: Grandfather Jim Reid and grandson David Irvine, from Inverbervie, were said to be the missing fishermen.

Tuesday 4.10pm: The search continues and is extended from two to eight miles offshore.

Tuesday 9.20pm: Due to the fading light and poor weather conditions, the search is suspended for the night. Another search involving Coastguard rescue teams and lifeboats is scheduled for first light on Wednesday.

Wednesday 5am: The search resumes.

Wednesday 8.55am: The search area extended to a 20 mile stretch of coastline between Stonehaven and Montrose.

Wednesday 9am: Local fishermen join the RAF and coastguard search and rescue operation. Missing fishing vessel named as Water Rail.

Wednesday 1.15pm: RNLI lifeboats sent back to refuel and change crews, before return to search.

Wednesday 2.25pm: A Bond search and rescue helicopter – which operates for BP in the North Sea – joins the search, alongside the RAF search and rescue helicopter from Lossiemouth.

Wednesday 6pm: Coastal units stood down.

Thursday 7am: Coastguard confirms no plans to carry out further search.

Thursday 7.45am: The passing fishing vessel Sylvia Bowers, coming from Buckie, spots the Water Rail and finds the two fishermen alive.

Thursday 8.53am: Police confirm the fishermen are on their way to shore, after being found 46 miles from the coast of Montrose.
 
cryan

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Lost in the Haar. Open boat only ever used within sight of harbour so not expecting to be lost. Just goes to show that even lads with 60 years of experience can get lost and in difficulty.
Take a radio.
Take a paper chart.
Take a GPS
Take an epirb.

The sea will not always be so merciful!
 
Romeo

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cryan said:
Lost in the Haar. Open boat only ever used within sight of harbour so not expecting to be lost. Just goes to show that even lads with 60 years of experience can get lost and in difficulty.
Take a radio.
Take a paper chart.
Take a GPS
Take an epirb.

The sea will not always be so merciful!
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I don't think you will find many folk venturing out in 16 foot inshore craft that will take all of those things. Radio would certainly have been useful. Scotland is a reasonable sized landmass which should be hard to miss from half a mile away so a working compass and the knowledge of how to use it should in fact be sufficient. A common error with a compass is to read it the wrong way and go in exactly the opposite direction from what you intended.
 
cryan

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About four years ago I was steering a tug from Rosyth down to the anchorages at Kirkcaldy when a thick Haar came in as we went through the bridges. We could not see the bow bits from the wheelhouse- a distance of about fifteen feet. When we went under the rail bridge ( a pretty substantial structure I'm sure you'll agree.) we could only see a slightly orange tinted fog.
Now this was a run we had all done many times before, hundreds of times in the skippers case. At that time we didn't have GPS and we were basically dead reckoning from the chart and our magnetic compass. At one point calling in to Forth Nav around 19 bouy by Inverkeithing they told us we were passing an inbound product tanker heading up to Grangemouth. We couldn't see them but radar had us at about 50 metres from them. We spoke on Radio and they couldn't see us either. We eventually made it to our destination but by as much luck as skill. To make it even more farcical we were trying to rendezvous with an Estonian minesweeper handily painted Haar Grey and made of low radar target plastic. In truth we nearly drove right through her.
My point being that in a thick haar land half a mile away might as well be a thousand miles away as far as visual contact matters.
The lads in question said their compass failed. My guess is from the addition of metal fishing gear such as haulers affecting the compass. A boat that size would not be subject to compass checks.
A radio and Epirb would/should have been a must.
 
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No, a radio and epirb are just ways of shouting for help. A working compass would have meant that help wouldn't have been required in this case.
 
Romeo

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NormanS said:
No, a radio and epirb are just ways of shouting for help. A working compass would have meant that help wouldn't have been required in this case.
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Even a mobile phone would have been helpful. Get a pal to drive down to the pier at Gourdon and sound his car horn to help you find the harbour.

However a working compass (and the knowledge of how to use it) would be the difference between sitting lost on a beach and sitting lost 40 miles out at sea. I do know where I would rather be.
 
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