SIR D. ATTENBOROUGH

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Repair in Frederikshavn

The 'Sir David Attenborough' encountered technical trouble and arrived in Frederikshavn on Aug 11 at 9 a.m. to be drydocked at the Orskov Yard for repairs. The ship had sailed from Harwich on Aug 3 and remained stationary as of Aug 17.

Two crew members injured in lifeboat accident

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has launched an investigation into a lifeboat drill accident on board the RRS 'Sir David Attenborough' on March 5, 2021, in which two crew members suffered minor injuries. The accident occurred in Loch Bule when the lifeboat rolled onto its side and then fell overboard during a launching drill with the two men inside. The ship had left Liverpool for sea trials in early November 2020 ahead of its ahead of its maiden voyage to Antarctica later this year.

Research ship assisted in rescue of man

On Feb 19, 2021, at 1:31 p.m. the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre (JESCC), received a telephone call from a member of the public stating that a man had jumped from the Castle Emplacement sea wall into Havelet Bay and was struggling in the rough conditions. Police and Coastguard officers were dispatched to the scene immediately and both the St Peter Port all-weather lifeboat (ALB) and inshore lifeboat (ILB) were paged to launch. On hearing Guernsey Coastguard’s Mayday Relay message the 'Sir David Attenborough', which at the time was south of St Martins point, offered the assistance of one of its Fast Rescue Craft. Police officers were been able to recover the man from the water using a Life-Ring mounted on the harbour wall nearby. Both lifeboats were stood down from SAR duties at 1.38 p.m., however, the inshore lifeboat was asked to retrieve a further Life-Ring that had been thrown into the water by the casualty’s friend. The incident was closed at 2:21 p.m.