JERSEY Coastguard dealt with an increase of emergency incidents and people being cut off by the tide last year, according to its annual report.
Figures for last year show that the coastguard vessel responded to 210 distress or emergency calls in 2024, an increase of 2% compared to the year prior.
According to Ports of Jersey, vessel equipment failure remained the main cause of search and rescue incidents and accounted for a fifth (20.5%) of all SAR incidents, a decrease from just under 23% in 2023.
The second highest incident type was action with good intentions – when a member of the public reports what they think is a person in difficulty – of which there were 29 calls made in 2024, up by nine compared to 2023.
The third highest type of recorded incident was a concern for welfare, according to the report, which made up 9% of total incidents, a drop of 4% compared to 2023.
The report also stated that Jersey Coastguard received 38% more calls about Islanders needing help after being cut off by the tide in 2024.
The Air Rescue Drone team, which is a voluntary service, became a declared SAR asset in 2024 and were involved in 23 emergencies last year, as well as eight additional requests relating to public safety, which included checking the integrity of hangar roofs at the airport following Storm Ciarán.
Coastguard and VTS manager Phil Le Neveu said they are “always analysing” emerging trends in SAR incidents to promote targeted safety messages.
He said: “We might use this information to inform our safety campaigns, to increase the number of patrols, or to monitor specific areas with CCTV, for example, Elizabeth Castle causeway which is a common location for people being cut off by tides.”
Mr Le Neveu added that their “most valuable resource” is the public, who reported just over half of all incidents last year.
“While SAR organisations and assets play a crucial role, our most valuable resource is the public, who act as our eyes and ears around the shores and on the water.
“We would like to thank those people who reported potential dangers at sea in 2024.”
As well as emergency incidents, Ports of Jersey stated that the St Helier Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) supervised 4,507 commercial vessels moving in and out of St Helier Harbour last year.
