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Show incidents from To Date: 02/02/2026Monday 2nd February, 3:44am - A 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) distress alert was received by RCC Bermuda from the French sailing vessel ZION at a position 48 miles East Northeast of Bermuda. RCC Gris-Nez in France were able to further research the yacht's description and owner details. The yacht itself was described as a 35 white sloop which is believed equipped with a liferaft and a dinghy. USCG East District (RCC Norfolk) were briefed by RCC Bermuda on the EPIRB activation and possible requirement for a search aircraft given the continued rough weather in the Bermuda area. Additionally the closest merchant ship the Marshall Islands registered bulk carrier GENCO BOURGOGNE is 160 miles Southeast of Bermuda and has diverted at RCC Bermuda's request but is still 24 hours away from the distress position given the sea conditions and her best speed of 6 knots. UPDATE: At 1:15pm local time, a US Coast Guard HC-144 CASA aircraft from Air Station Cape Cod arrives on scene at the EPIRB position and locates the yacht ZION and spots her 3 crew on deck in apparently good condition Attempts to drop marine VHF radios to the yacht in two separate parachute drop attempts are unsuccessful. The C-144 aircraft departs the scene at 3:05pm to re-fuel in Bermuda. CASE PENDSDate: 22/01/2026Thursday 22nd January, 07:55 am – The Bermuda registered cruise ship CELESTIAL JOURNEY broadcast an SSAS security alert indicating the ship was under attack. Ship locating websites showed the ship to be alongside in ABU DHABI. The companies Security Officer was contacted and confirmed that the alert button had been pressed in error during a security drill.Date: 20/01/2026Monday 19th January, 11:42 pm – RCC Bermuda received an email from a Malta registered container ship in a position 270 miles south southwest of Bermuda, they had observed a drifting yellow buoy. The United States Coast Guard suspect the buoy is an ODAS (Ocean Data Acquisition System) Buoy which has broken free from its moorings. Consideration was given to recovering the buoy if it were to drift closer to Bermuda, no other sightings were reported and the current location is now unknown.Date: 15/01/2026Thursday 15th January 2026, 10:45am – The Marine & Ports Tug POWERFUL reported to Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre that they had just sighted a whale in the vicinity of Kings Wharf, just off from Dockyard. The report from the Tug, further advised that it appeared to be 3 whales in total. BMOC made calls to key stakeholders at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources DENR, and staff from the Aquarium BAMZ took the lead to proceed offshore and try guide the Whales into deeper water and clear of the islands reef line. This was a very unusual sighting so close inshore, and no subsequent sightings have been reported since.Date: 13/01/2026Tuesday 13th January 2026, 10:30am – RCC Bermuda was advised by local shipping agent Meyers, that the 29,847GRT, Bahamas registered Bulk Carrier FJORD PEARL, was diverting at best speed to Bermuda in order to disembark a Georgia crewmember with a Urinary condition that required medical assistance ashore. The ship was on passage from Reserve, U.S.A bound for Hamburg, Germany. At 10:30am Thursday 15th January, the Bulk Carrier arrived offshore, and the patient was safely transferred from the ship, ashore to Ordnance Island by the Pilot/Rescue boat St George and subsequently transported by ambulance to KEMH for treatment.Date: 10/01/2026Saturday 10th January 2026, 12:25pm – Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre received a 911 call, advising that a telegraph pole was reported to be drifting in the South Channel near Buoys #24 and #25. Bermuda Radio broadcast a local Navigation Warning (LNW) regarding the floating hazard to navigation. The RBR Coast Guard while out on patrol were requested to check this area, no further sightings were reported, and the local navigation warning has now lapsed.
