HMS Diamond rescued four people from a yacht that was taking on water and at risk of sinking.
Last night, the Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer answered a Mayday call in the Channel near the Isle of Wight, say the Royal Navy in a news release.
HMS Diamond left Portsmouth yesterday to join up with HMS Queen Elizabeth for operations in northern European waters. Diamond will be part of a powerful Carrier Striker Group of warships, helicopters and F-35 stealth jets on Operation Achillean.
“The civilian yacht, sailing from Beaulieu River in the New Forest towards Honfleur in France, sent out a distress call after it started taking on a significant amount of water. Diamond was in the area after leaving her home port yesterday and coordinated and conducted the rescue operation, working alongside Newhaven and Bembridge RNLI crews and a French Coastguard helicopter.
The warship sent one of her seaboats to the yacht and picked up four of the five personnel on board who were transferred back to Diamond to be examined by medical staff. Those rescued were then taken to hospital via the Newhaven RNLI lifeboat. Three of Diamond’s sailors then went back to the yacht and helped the boat’s skipper to stabilise the vessel and sail it back to the UK.”
Diamond’s Commanding Officer, Commander Peter Barfoot, was quoted as saying:
“The ship’s company were able to evacuate and disembark the crew who needed medical assistance. At the same time some of the ship’s specialists were able to embark and provide essential support to the yacht’s skipper which ultimately prevented the vessel from sinking. In arduous conditions, working without respite, members of my ship’s company saved the lives of five sailors and ensured a vessel was not lost. This is in keeping with the finest traditions of the service and I could not be more proud of my team.”
You can read more here.
For those in peril on the sea. Well done HMS Diamond, another positive story.
👍
Yes, bravo HMS Diamond. Great photo too.
The high standards of professionalism for which the RN is rightly known
What a great image.
Absolutely and the caption should read “HMS Diamond heading west and responding suddenly to a distress call from the east !😄
2018 image. Still grat.
Can Destroyers do a handbrake turn? I wonder if there’s a special automatic fried egg catcher / plate-clamper-downer in the galley?
Andrew doing what the Andrew do best. Congrats
Who or what is andrew? I assume it’s some navy talk. Never heard it before.
The Andrew is navy slang for the Royal Navy. No idea why, but it goes back sometime…
Cheers CR
Thank you very much for the answer👍🏻
It’s up for debate but Google Andrew Miller. The Bootnecks are called Royal because they’re the only part of the Naval Service to swear allegiance to the crown but that’s up for debate too.
Agreed DB, BZ The Diamond ♦️ 👍
Thats a first. A story involving a type 45 destroyer where they havent called the ship the £1 billion destroyer or bemoaned its engine failures.
Another first – it was actually reported on BBC Online. BBC rarely report UK defence related news. Makes a change.
Unless it’s bad news…
Great work Diamond.
Great job. Some would be amazed at some of the rescues various navies (& others) have done. At least this time it’s not some idiot sailing around the world single handed, venturing into the Southern Ocean (or really any ocean a long way from shore). I don’t really care if you do, but please bare a thought to those that have to rescue you when you set off your satellite beacon in the middle of nowhere, when there is really no reason for you to be there. People have died trying to rescue such fools. Repeat – great job. Well done.