Search and Rescue Exercise Off St Anne Island
(Seychelles Nation) - SEYCHELLES COAST Guard, Seychelles Air Force, Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, EUCAP Nestor and EU Navfor exercise search and rescue of a ditched plane in the Indian Ocean.
A plane from Praslin carrying thirteen passengers and two crew members fell into the sea after encountering engine problem. After staying in contact with the control tower for some time, the pilot informed that he had no other option but to ditch the aircraft. The incident happened at 8.15am yesterday, seven nautical miles east off St Anne Island.
Based on this scenario, a combined search and rescue exercise was organised yesterday by the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG), Seychelles Air Force (SAF), Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), EUCAP Nestor and EU Navfor (European Naval Force Somalia), part of operation Atalanta.
Quick in passing information, the SCAA control tower forwarded the message from the pilot to the joint rescue coordination centre (JRCC) based at the SCG at Ile du Port where a search plan was developed and distributed to related agencies.
SCG’s vessel Topaz was immediately sent to the scene along with an SAF aircraft. The SCG, having sent the distress message to other ships, requested the help of an EU Navfor Atalanta’s flagship Zr Ms Johan De Witt (a 176m amphibious landing platform dock vessel from the Royal Netherland Navy) that was conducting a routine patrol not far from the area where the plane fell.
Eleven passengers and two crew members were found floating in a life raft by the SAF Dornier aircraft, first to arrive at the wreck site.
The information was passed via the JRCC to SCG’s vessel Topaz and to the EU Navfor vessel Zr Ms Johan De Witt which sent one of its four helicopters and three fast response boats (friscs) to the rescue.
Among the thirteen in the life boat two were critically injured and were taken for stabilisation onboard Zr Ms Johan De Witt (equipped with a modern hospital for any type of medical emergencies) before being airlifted later by helicopter to the SCG helipad.
Two others who were slightly injured were airlifted directly from the life boat to the SCG. The nine others were taken on board Topaz.
The search continued for two missing passengers who were later found in the water and taken by a frisc to the SCG.
Among the guests invited onboard the Zr Ms Johan De Witt to witness the two- hour simulation exercise and also tour the vessel were the principal secretary for foreign affairs, Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne; French ambassador Lionel Majeste-Larrouy; UK deputy high commissioner Dave Jones; security advisor to Minister Joel Morgan, Raymond St Ange; commanding officer of the SCG, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Dine; commanding officer of the SAF, Major Michael Pouponneau; Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration chief officer, Captain Joachim Valmont; SCAA officials; maritime police unit; EUCAP Nestor representatives and other guests.
According to Major Pouponneau, the exercise was a request made by the Seychelles Defence Forces through EUCAP Nestor so as to have a chance every now and then to test the maritme search and rescue response efficiency, the work coordination between local and international partners and also to test all equipment and assets to be used in the case of a search and rescue mission.
A representative of EUCAP Nestor coast guard expert /operation and training based in Seychelles said EUCAP Nestor had conducted training in maritime safety and donated various equipment to the SCG, that SAF, the maritime police and other related agencies so as to help them to work and coordinate well together and also to work in line with European partners.
He said those gestures by EUCAP Nestor will continue in the future.
Captained by commanding officer Rene Luyckx,the EU Navfor Atalanta Zr Ms Johan De Witt arrived in Seychelles on Sunday April 5 with 152 crew members and left Port Victoria yesterday afternoon for a patrol mission along the coast of Somalia.
The accompanying photographs taken by our photographer Patrick Joubert show highlights of the exercise.
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