4 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2008
‘‘Thank you, the Royal NavyThank you, the Royal Navy....’..’
T
HIS is the dramatic
struggling ship just 65 minutes after challenging night, but we didn’t merchantman Horncliff was being Winchman CPO Rigg was lowered on
moment Chief Petty
being scrambled – aided by strong encounter any major problems,” said lashed in the Western Approaches to the vessel to assess three casualties
Offi cer Dave Rigg lifted
winds which helped their Sea King co-pilot Lt Olivia ‘Liv’ Milles. where waves threatened to overwhelm before the trio were winched up in a
south. “The weather was pretty awful so her. stretcher and fl own to Royal Cornwall
a passenger off the stricken When they arrived over the we didn’t want to hang around any She ran headlong into a Force Ten Hospital.
banana boat MV Horncliff to
Riverdance, the ferry was listing at up longer than necessary and the ship storm off south-western Ireland. Among those rescued was
the safety of Rescue 193 as
to 60˚ in winds gusting up to 65kts. was listing heavily. We were fortunate The Liberian-registered ship rocked Hamburger Dahne Carstensen who
winter storms threatened to
An RAF Sea King from Valley in that it was close to shore so there was violently as three huge waves in was honeymooning in the Horncliff
Anglesey was already on the scene quite a lot of natural light – unusual for succession struck her, tossing upwards with his wife Suzanne.
overwhelm her. and beginning to winch passengers a rescue at sea.” of 100 containers into the sea, leaving The Carstensens were on the bridge
It was one of two high-profi le and crew off the Riverdance as the The Gannet team had expected those aboard fearful for their lives and at the time the ship was struck by the
rescues by Naval aviators within two Gannet helicopter arrived. a challenging night – but had not injuring several sailors, including the three huge waves.
days during ferocious weather which It fell to the Fleet Air Arm crew to expected a ferry rescue as most of ship’s captain who suffered spinal Herr Carstensen suffered a broken
lashed the British Isles. watch over the scene and co-ordinate the crossings that night had been injuries and internal bleeding. shoulder and ribs as the Horncliff
Sea Kings from Gannet Flight at the rescue mission as lifeboats and a cancelled. The ship sent out a mayday on Friday lurched violently.
HMS Gannet in Prestwick and 771 Coastguard helicopter arrived. “Twenty-three people is quite a lot to February 1 and the RAF scrambled a “The ship went right over, then the
NAS of RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall Once the RAF had pulled eight rescue,” said LACMN Regan. “That’s Search and Rescue helicopter from containers came off and the ship came
were scrambled, respectively, when people to safety, the Gannet fliers why there were so many helicopters on Chivenor. back up,” said Frau Carstensen.
maydays were received from a ferry moved in, lowering aircrewman Kev the scene. We were actually told the Atrocious weather conditions forced “It was really horrible.”
– MV Riverdance – and the Horncliff as Regan on to the listing deck of the ship was at 60˚ and people were going the RAF fl iers to abandon their rescue She praised CPO Rigg for calming her
January turned to February. Riverdance. into the water.” mission. husband’s nerves as he was prepared
The Riverdance, a freight ferry, had He winched six people into the Sea The fliers were back at Gannet By Saturday morning, the weather for winching into the Sea King.
almost crossed the Irish Sea bound for King – two at a time – before the before midnight, fighting their way had abated suffi ciently for another “Thank you, the Royal Navy,” she
Heysham in Lancashire when ferocious helicopter turned for Blackpool airport back to Scotland in the teeth of the rescue attempt, this time conducted by said simply.
winds and fearsome seas threatened to drop the frightened sailors and gale – a flight which proved almost as 771 NAS from RNAS Culdrose. Horncliff had been heading for Dover
to overwhelm her. passengers safely on dry land. difficult as the rescue. Sea King Rescue 193 found Horncliff carrying a cargo of fruit from Costa
The Gannet fliers were over the “It all went smoothly – it was a As Riverdance foundered, the about 70 miles off the Cornish coast. Rica.
Shhhh... it’s
Back to
HMS Argyll
Haven can’t wait for RFA
Portland
FOR the second time this winter, the Royal And so landing support ship RFA Lyme “We’ll be operating off the harbour
HMS Portland could be found
WE’D love to tell you what HMS Fleet Auxiliary is coming to the aid of one of Bay is being dispatched 5,000 miles from for about a month, probably in diffi cult
in the island with which she
Argyll has been up to these the world’s most remote communities. her home of Portland with 150 pallets sea conditions, offl oading the necessary
shares her name.
past few weeks. Last month tanker Gold Rover dashed of cement, bulldozers, stone crushers, equipment and stores,” said Capt Peter
The Devonport-based frigate
Unfortunately, it’s really across the South Atlantic to deliver cement mixers and landing craft, plus 40 Farmer.
is actually named after the
rather secret.
urgently-needed medical supplies to the Royal Engineers, soldiers from the Royal “The isolation of the community
Earl of Portland (it’s his family
But we can tell you that she’s
people of Tristan da Cunha. Logistics Corps and a team of RN medics, brings its own challenges, but the ship’s
motto, craignez honte – fear
still east of Suez and not in the
Now a more permanent RFA presence is to effect temporary repairs. company are thoroughly looking forward
dishonour – which the warship
Gulf.
required as the sole harbour in the isolated The vessel was due to arrive off the to the task – and hopefully a successful
also bears) but Commanding
The Devonport-based frigate
British dependency needs urgent repairs. island at the end of February and will outcome for the islanders.”
Officer Cdr Mike Utley says his
duties in the northern Gulf
The 270 inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha, remain there until March 31. Once the
men and women very much
have been handed over to
which lies about 1,800 miles west of Cape austral winter sets in, it’s unlikely ● Supplies and kit are ferried on
regard the island as their
HMS Campbeltown while Argyll
Town, rely on the sea for all their supplies any work can be carried out on a Mexefl ote from Marchwood
‘hometown’.
headed for the Indian Ocean
and trade. the harbour. to RFA Lyme Bay in the
Indeed the ship enjoys close
to conduct sensitive maritime
Its harbour is being undermined by the Solent
ties with its affiliated towns of
security operations – which
Atlantic swell, forcing emergency repairs Picture: LA (Phot) ‘Simmo’
Weymouth and Portland.
meant communications with
– ahead of a more permanent solution next
Simpson, FRPU East
During her four-day spell in
home have been somewhat
austral summer.
harbour, the frigate played host
stifled.
to the usual dignitaries and
The good news is that
affiliates.
incoming emails were still
Also climbing aboard were
getting through... and there’s
students from colleges and
half a tonne of post waiting for
schools along the south coast
the ship’s company when the
who had shown an interest in
frigate finally puts into port.
joining the Senior Service.
The bad news is that all
It’s the first time Portland has
the fresh food has just about
been to the island in two and a
run out after a lengthy patrol, half years.
which means the chefs She was kept busy much
(sorry, logisticians (catering of last year putting the kibosh
services(preparation)) have on drug traffickers in the
had to rely on frozen and Caribbean.
tinned produce to feed their Just days after the ship
shipmates. departed – and as Navy News
Luckily CO Cdr Gavin went to press – councillors in
Pritchard has a penchant for Weymouth and Portland were
UHT milk, although it’s a foible debating granting the frigate
not necessarily shared by his and her ship’s company the
shipmates. freedom of their borough.
0004_NN_Mar.indd 104_NN_Mar.indd 1 119/2/08 18:13:279/2/08 18:13:27
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