Scarborough Lifeboat crew's eerie 'Mary Celeste' style discovery in the Irish Sea
Published on Tuesday 1 July 2008 09:47
SCARBOROUGH lifeboatmen found themselves caught up in an eerie Mary Celeste-style mystery in the Irish Sea.
Training divisional inspector Wave Crooks, Glyn Simpson and Chris Steel were part of the crew helping to take a lifeboat from Workington to Poole in Dorset to be decommissioned when they responded to a May Day message from Falmouth Coastguard.
A Belgian fishing vessel, the Marie Louise, had reported finding an abandoned, seaworthy but crewless fishing boat bobbing about, just 23 miles off Cornwall's north coast between St Ives and Padstow. Mr Steel, of Avenue Victoria, said: "We were the nearest lifeboat to the vessel but a helicopter from RNAS Culdrose was scrambled in the first instance and they requested the launch of St Ives lifeboat to the scene."
He added said: "When we arrived we pulled along side and the mechanic from our boat climbed on board the vessel. Everything was turned off and all he could find was a bag of clothes. It was quite eerie."
HMS Severn, a naval fisheries vessel nearby, was also involved in the for the missing crew of the Midnight Oil, an ex-ship's lifeboat, which was last seen leaving Milford Haven in South Wales on June 28.
A Falmouth Coastguard spokesman said: "It was a wide and intensive search for one male who we believe is missing from the boat.
"There was no trace of the man in the water and the search was scaled down midway through Monday afternoon."
He added: "We know that the boat had previously been towed into Milford Haven when it developed some faults but these were apparently repaired and he was making his way to Falmouth. His son had joined him during part of the journey. When the boat was found drifting everything seemed in order, the engine started with no problems and the man's possessions were found inside the cabin."
The coastguard spokesman said the man's family had been contacted and his disappearance remained a mystery.
The Mary Celeste was an unmanned brigantine discovered sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, towards the Strait of Gibraltar, in 1872. The fate of the 10 people on board remains a mystery to this day.
Theories as to their fate include piracy and underwater earthquakes but, the most respected one, is that, fearing its cargo of alcohol was leaking and in danger of exploding, the crew abandoned ship and either drowned or died of hunger, thirst or exposure.
Concern for missing boatman, 80
Concern is growing for an 80-year-old man whose empty boat was found drifting off the coast of Cornwall on Monday. Peter Smith, from Gosport, Hampshire, was last seen leaving Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire in his boat Midnight Oil on Saturday morning.
A search involving a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter from RNAS Culdrose, the St Ives lifeboat and HMS Severn was called off on Monday evening.
Police said they were treating the incident as a missing person inquiry.
Clothing and belongings were found on board the Midnight Oil, a converted former lifeboat.
It was found floating 23 miles west north west from Trevose Head by a Belgian fishing boat, the Maria Louise, at about 1115 BST.
They reported that the engine of the 40ft (12.2m) boat was cold but that they could re-start it quickly.
Falmouth Coastguard, who co-ordinated the search, said Midnight Oil was towed to St Ives in north Cornwall at 1800 BST on Monday.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the vessel had been experiencing mechanical problems but that Mr Smith had taken it for repairs in Milford Haven and had been making his way back to Gosport.
The RAF spokesman said that over the weekend, winds were described as westerly blowing at about 20 to 30 knots. On Monday the winds were about 10 to 15 knots.
"If you are in a small boat you are going to know about it if the wind is blowing at around 20 to 30 knots," added the spokesman.
No comments:
Post a Comment