Latest news with #MaritimeRescue
Euronews
6 days ago
- Climate
- Euronews
Two people feared missing as torrential rain batters Spain's Catalonia
Two people are reportedly missing in Catalonia after torrential downpour triggered widespread flooding in the northeastern Spanish region on Saturday. The downpour also disrupted rail services for several hours. Two eye witnesses told local authorities they saw the two walk across a bridge and fall into the Foix River in Cubelles, roughly 50 kilometres from Barcelona. The fire brigade believes they were swept away by the river, and are searching for the paid near the banks and mouth of the river. The ongoing search is being conducted by drone teams, helicopters and underwater units. Catalan regional police and Maritime Rescue teams also joined the search efforts. The heavy rainfall mostly affected the southern part of the metropolitan area of Barcelona, and flash floods resulted in rivers overflowing in multiple areas. Meanwhile in Vilafranca del Penedès, one of the hardest impacted areas, heavy rain caused the ground floor of the regional hospital to flood completely, affecting the hospital's electricity supply and resulting in the closure of the emergency ward. Flooding in Genoa, alerts issued in Poland The town's mayor said all emergencies at the hospital were referred to other hospitals in the area, as well as to Barcelona. He added that a 24-hour primary care centre had been set up for other types of emergencies. Heavy rain also caused major flooding in Italy's Genoa, particularly in the Val Polcevera area. Local authorities extended the yellow weather alert for storms, and urged citizens to remain cautious. Is Tuscany, a yellow weather alert for hydrogeological risk and severe thunderstorms has also been extended. Meanwhile in Poland, emergency services issued alerts for five regions in the country, as storms with powerful winds reaching 80km/h and heavy rain of up to 50mm is forecast. On Sunday morning, the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management issued first- and second-degree storm warnings for the entire country. The intense downpours comes days after Europe saw extreme heatwavesacross the continent, which has broken records and sparked alarm, as temperatures reached above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the continent.
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Seafarers from cargo ship attacked by Houthis rescued after 48 hours in water
Four seafarers have been rescued after spending more than 48 hours in the waters of the Red Sea, as the search continued for the remaining crew of the Greek ship Eternity C, which was sunk by Houthi militants in an attack that killed at least four people. Thursday's rescue brought the number of those saved to 10 – eight Filipino crew, one Indian security guard and a Greek guard. Four members of the 25-member crew – three Filipinos and one Russian – were killed in the Houthi attacks. Eleven people were still missing, six of whom are believed to have been kidnapped by the Houthis, maritime security sources told Reuters. 'We remain deeply concerned for the welfare of the crew members in the custody of the Houthis, as well as for those currently unaccounted for,' said Ellie Shafik, the head of intelligence at the UK-based maritime risk management company Vanguard Tech. 'Their safety and swift release must be a priority for all involved.' The Eternity C was the second ship sunk by the Houthis this week, breaking a May ceasefire with the US that was predicated on an end to attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. Houthi forces also sank the Greek-owned Magic Seas on Sunday, but all the crew were rescued. The last time the Houthis attacked a merchant ship was last December, coinciding with a Gaza ceasefire. Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy to Yemen, said: 'We are now with grave concern seeing an escalation in the Red Sea, with attacks on two commercial ships, with civilian loss of life and casualties, as well as the potential for environmental damage.' The US mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of kidnapping crew members and called for their release. The Houthis first attacked the Eternity C on Monday with bombs, sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speedboats. Footage released by the Houthis showed a surface-to-surface missile being fired to screams of 'death to Israel' and a large cloud of black smoke billowing from the Eternity C. The ship was attacked again on Tuesday night, forcing the crew to jump into the water as Houthi skiffs circled the vessel. On Wednesday, the Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said its navy had rescued members of the ship's crew, given them medical care and taken them to a 'safe location'. The Houthis previously held the crew of another ship they attacked, the Galaxy Leader, for more than a year. The Houthis have said their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians and a means of putting pressure on Israel to stop the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 57,000 people over the past 21 months. The Houthi militia leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, said on Thursday that no company could be permitted to transport goods related to Israel through designated areas at sea. He reiterated that a Houthi ban on navigation that the group sees as associated with Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea would remain in place. The Houthis have also regularly launched ballistic missiles at Israel, the vast majority of which have been intercepted by Israel's missile defence system. Early on Thursday morning, the Houthis said they had attempted to hit Ben Gurion airport in Israel with a ballistic missile, which the Israeli military said it had intercepted. The Houthis had threatened to resume maritime attacks on any Israeli-owned ships as the US considered firing missiles at Iran, which it eventually did on 22 June, striking three Iranian nuclear sites. The Iran-backed group then followed through on its threat by sinking the Magic Seas on Sunday and the Eternity C, neither of which were linked to Israel but which the Houthis claimed were heading to ports in the country. It was unclear how the US would respond to this week's attacks in the Red Sea, which not only interrupted months of calm in the area but were also the first time that the Houthis had killed seafarers in more than a year. The Red Sea is a vital shipping route, carrying about a third of the world's total container traffic. By the end of 2024, traffic through the Red Sea had declined by about 75%, according to the World Bank, a result of the Houthi attacks on shipping vessels starting in November 2023. The resumption of attacks has caused anxiety among maritime merchants, with at least one Hong Kong-flagged ship, Blossom Glory, listing its destination as 'NO ISRAEL US EU LINK' as it passed by Yemen on Tuesday. Other ships listed similar destination ports.
Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Moment drug smugglers set fire to own yacht to destroy huge cocaine haul after being chased by cop boat off hols hotspot
The boat eventually sank, taking most of the drugs down with it, but cops still managed to recover 25kg of cocaine BOAT BUST Moment drug smugglers set fire to own yacht to destroy huge cocaine haul after being chased by cop boat off hols hotspot THIS is the dramatic moment drug smugglers set their own yacht alight to destroy their gargantuan cocaine haul. Moments before, the two men had been chased by a police boat just off the coast of holiday hotspot Tenerife. Advertisement 6 Drug smugglers set their own yacht alight 6 Footage shows one of the men working desperately to set fire to the drug stash 6 Cops sprayed the boat to put out the flames Unbelievable footage shows the tense boat chase, with multiple cop yachts surrounding the drug vessel. Once the smugglers realised there was no escape it seems, they deliberately set the boat on fire. The panicked smugglers are seen trying to start a blaze - and are eventually successful. The pair risk their lives on the choppy sea as the boat quickly becomes engulfed in flames. Advertisement The blaze not only put themselves in danger but surrounding cops too, as the vessel could have exploded at any time. Cops were captured in the footage desperately trying to put the fire out with strong hosepipes. The drug smugglers, one of French nationality and the other Dutch, jumped into the sea. One of them was said to be very seriously injured. Advertisement The sailing boat was intercepted by the police about 50 miles from the Canary Islands. The boat eventually sank, taking most of the drugs down with it, but the crew of the police patrol boat "Sacre" managed to recover 25kg of cocaine. Moment panicked captain of MV Matthew drug ship orders crew to burn drugs while Irish warship in 'hot pursuit' The operation was part of the plan to intensify the investigation, surveillance and control of the cocaine smuggling in the Canary Islands. A tip-off was received about a boat close to the holiday island, and was said to contain a significant amount of narcotic substance on board. Advertisement The plan was to transfer the haul to another boat, a semi-rigid type, which would be take the drugs to the Spanish coast. A police spokesman said: "The maritime operation was highly risky for Custom's patrol officers due to the rough seas and the fire intentionally set by the vessel's crew to destroy the cocaine and the sailboat. "The swift action of Customs Surveillance Service officers allowed them to initially extinguish the fire and complete the boarding of the vessel. "They also recovered part of the cargo before the fire reignited, ultimately destroying most of the haul of cocaine and the vessel transporting it, a sloop named Lona." Advertisement The two crew members of the sailboat have been arrested. The man who was seriously injured in the fire was transported, presumably to hospital, via chopper by Maritime Rescue. The two Customs Surveillance Service vessels, along with the detainees and the recovered drugs, were brought into Tenerife's capital of Santa Cruz. The operation was carried out by the Civil Guard, National Police and Customs Surveillance in association with the British and American authorities. Advertisement 6 Only part of the boat was decimated 6 The two men were arrested
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Crews called after emergency beacon activated in Maryport Marina
Crews were called after an emergency beacon was set off in Maryport Marina. Whitehaven Coastguard and Maryport Rescue were at the scene after being alerted by the activation of the beacon. Beacons are used by sailors and boat crews to help alert the authorities when they are in trouble and to make them easier to find. The beacon set off in Maryport was not registered so rescue crews could not easily identify if the callout was a false alarm. After Maryport Rescue confirmed that no one was in immediate danger, Whitehaven Coastguard performed a full 500 metre search before being stood down. A spokesperson for Whitehaven Coastguard said: 'We were tasked earlier this evening by our Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Belfast Coastguard, to reports of a MOB SART alerting in Maryport Marina which is a Man Overboard Beacon Search And Rescue Transponder. 'Unfortunately this beacon was not registered and so a swift confirmation call on VHF or mobile phone could not be done to confirm the situation. 'Whilst we proceeded to scene, a request was also made for our colleagues at Maryport Rescue to attend and do an immediate check of the area. They confirmed there was no immediate persons in danger and were stood down. 'We concluded our 500m hub search, around the accurate location being transmitted. 'With the location being accurate to within a couple of meters, we identified the nearby vessels moored and working with Maryport Harbour Authority and Maryport Marina and Harbourside Caravan Site staff the owners were contacted to confirm they were all well and to ask if they had an unregistered beacon. READ MORE: Coastguard called out to Workington boat sighting on shore | News and Star 'With all searches and enquires concluded, and nearby vessel owners asked to check for any unregistered beacons they may have aboard from previous owners, we were stood down. 'If you own or purchase a distress beacon, please ensure it is registered here. It's free and could help save your life.'
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Two women dead and rescue operation underway after boat transporting '100 migrants' capsizes when they shifted to one side to board Spanish rescue boat
A rescue operation is underway after a boat reportedly transporting 100 migrants capsized when passengers shifted to one side of the vessel to reach safety. According to local reports, two women died and girl is in critical condition after the boat capsized at around 9:30am in the port of La Restinga on El Hierro, Canary Islands. It is currently unknown whether the two women drowned in the accident or had died earlier during the crossing, a spokesperson for the Government Delegation told EFE. Images from the scene showed Maritime Rescue towing the small vessel through the waters, but once it had been docked in the port, the boat capsized with many of its occupants still inside, including several babies. The boat had more than 100 people on board, according to initial estimates, including children, and many have fallen into the sea following the incident. The Spanish port's emergency services are caring for those that fell into the water, while dock workers and diving clubs are also participating in rescue efforts. This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
