11 May 2020
The St Helena Sea Rescue Service will be conducting a pyrotechnic training exercise on Wednesday, 20 May 2020, and will be activating a number of handheld and rocket distress flares.
Deployment of Maritime Distress Flares will start at 6.30pm from a vessel approximately one nautical mile north of James Bay. A VHF safety message will be sent out prior to deployment of the first flare.
The public is asked not to report any distress flares from this location during this time.
The flares will be deployed in the following order:
- 3 orange distress smokes
- 12 white illuminating rocket flares (This is a Search and Rescue flare which is used to illuminate an area, not used for distress)
- 12 hand-held red distress flares
- 12 red rocket distress flares.
This will be an opportunity for the public to view what a maritime distress flare looks like. Please take note of the characteristics of the red flares as these are the ones used by vessels in distress.
Anyone with any questions regarding this training should contact the Sea Rescue Manager, Simon Wade, on tel: 25052 or via email: simonwade@helanta.co.sh
SHG
11 May 2020