Stolen fishing boat sparks search

Maritime And Coastguard Agency (National)




At 09:41 this morning, Portland Coastguard received reports of a 4.5 metre open fishing vessel, with nets deployed, drifting and with no one aboard in the Fleet Lagoon, Portland Harbour.

Fearing a fisherman had gone overboard, Portland Coastguard immediately scrambled the Portland based Coastguard rescue helicopter, assembled Wyke and Portland Bill Coastguard search teams and requested the launch of the Weymouth all weather and inshore lifeboats. Once with the fishing vessel, units reported the vessel could have been drifting and unmanned since last light of the previous night.

The Fleet is a naturally occurring lagoon which runs from Abbotsbury in Lyme Bay, opening into Portland Harbour, a distance of some 8miles, a large amount of which can dry out at low tides stranding unwary people in mud.

Coastguards were able to locate the owner of the fishing vessel who confirmed that his and another similar fishing vessel had been stolen the previous night. Searches were undertaken for the second fishing vessel and the possibility that someone had fallen overboard. In a search that lasted nearly 3 hours the Fleet and Portland Harbour were thoroughly searched by two Coastguard search teams, a Coastguard rescue helicopter, two lifeboats, a Dorset Police RHIB and three other vessels.

Eventually the second fishing vessel was located upturned and partially submerged on the shoreline of the Fleet. Evidence indicates one vessel was stolen in order to cross the Fleet to break into fishing sheds and the other used for the return journey, both being set adrift once there usefulness had ended. Units were subsequently stood down from their searches.

Allan Norman, Watch Manager at Portland Coastguard said:

"This thoughtless act has lead to an intensive search involving 8 Search and Rescue units and over 30 trained personnel. A thorough and intensive search was carried out but due to the vessels being stolen and the culprits not yet apprehended, we will be unable to confirm definitely no one was in peril. The incident has now been passed to Dorset Police who are investigating."