News

The Canary Islands Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Center (ARCC Canarias) carried out a rescue mission, requested by Maritime Rescue (SASEMAR), in which the Air and Space Forces intervened, on Nov 5, 2024. At 3:20 p.m., an HD.21 Super Puma helicopter from the 82nd Group of the Armed Forces of Wing 46, based at the Gando Air Base, was mobilized to medevac a 60-year-old Danish passenger, who was in a serious condition due to peritonitis, aboard "MSC Seaside", which was located approximately 470 kilometres southwest of Gran Canaria. To optimise the mission, a D.4 "VIGMA" aircraft was also activated, which provided information on the winds at high altitude and facilitated the rescue manoeuvre by communicating with the cruise ship. The aircraft guided the helicopter on the course and speed that the ship had to maintain to facilitate the hoisting operation, while the satellite communications capacity (SATCOM) allowed real-time contact to be maintained between the SAR air resources and the ARCC Canarias. Once the passenger was hoisted on board the helicopter, he was taken to the helipad of the Juan Negrín Hospital, where he was picked up by an ambulance from the Canary Islands Emergency Service and taken to the hospital for treatment. The helicopter landed safely at Gando Air Base at 8:00 p.m., completing a total of 4 hours and 20 minutes of flight. Report with photo: https://teldeactualidad.com/art/166079/un-helicoptero-de-gando-rescata-pasajero-en-estado-grave-a-470-km-de-gran-canaria

On Nov 5, a migrant boat was reported adrift two nautical miles southwest of Cabo de Gata. The CCS Almería of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Spica' to assist, which rescued the 16 people on board and transferred them to Almería. At Banco del Hoyo in Cádiz, a merchant ship spotted an inflatable boat with eight people on board. The CCS Tarifa of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Enif', which took them to Barbate. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1853814082488402026

The service of the 'Cowes Floating Bridge 6' across the River Medina has been suspended on the morning of Nov 6 due to a cable that needed replacing. Usual operational wear and tear’ meant that a cable needed to be urgently replaced, resulting in a suspension of service until the engineers had fixed the problem. Contractors arrived on site at 09:00 a.m. A launch service between East Cowes and Cowes was put in operation for foot passengers and cyclists at this time.

The Turkish police on the evening of Nov 3 detained several activists who had stormed the 'Kathrin' in İstanbul over allegations that it carried explosives destined to help Israel in the ongoing war against the Palestinian enclave of Gaza and Lebanon. In thel port of Haydarpaşa, a group of pro-Palestinian activists has been holding a vigil for over a month in protest of Turkey’s refusal to allow the departure of two ships seeking to deliver aid to Gaza organized by Turkish and international humanitarian groups, citing bureaucratic obstacles. The activists, aligned with the conservative Anatolia Youth Association, raided the ship chanting anti-Israeli slogans and waving Palestinian flags, and subsequently began a sit-in onboard. The protestors demanded that the ship leave the port immediately. Riot police arrived at the site quickly and forced the protestors to disperse. 16 protestors who resisted were detained and were still in police custody as of the afternoon of Nov 4. The leader of the Islamist Felicity Party (SP) Temel Karamollaoğlu called on Turkish authorities to release the activists from police custody. Report with photo: https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/11/04/activists-detained-in-istanbul-for-protest-of-german-ship-allegedly-carrying-explosive-to-israel/

A US Coast Guard helicopter medically evacuated a 39-year-old male crew member off the´ 'Polaris Voyager' about 28 nauticlal miles west of Oceanside, on Nov 5, 2024. Coast Guard Sector San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders received notification from the tanker, reporting that the crew member was experiencing symptoms of a stroke and needed to be medevaced at approximately 12:10 p.m. Watchstanders then diverted an Air Station San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew to conduct a medevac around 12:30 p.m. The aircrew arrived on-scene, hoisted the patient into the helicopter, and transferred him to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla in San Diego around 2:30 p.m. The patient was reported to be in a stable condition. Report with video: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3957532/coast-guard-medevacs-39-year-old-male-from-oil-tanker-near-oceanside-calif/