Coastguard: Every Second Counts - Episode Guide

In episode one, in Liverpool on the River Mersey, a crewman tragically passes away while attempting to board a tugboat while jumping off a jetty. The MCA's Regulatory Compliance Investigations Team look into the incident to investigate how something like this could have happened. The investigator heads back to the scene of the incident and gathers as much evidence and intelligence as possible before taking it to a jury. If prosecuted the owners of the tugboat could face a massive fine or even a prison sentence.

Over in the North Sea, a mayday call is picked up from a fishing trawler in serious trouble. The crew at Sumburgh Search and Rescue head over to the location to find the vessel has sunken and the sister boat is trying to rescue the floating fisherman in treacherous weather. In one of the most dramatic incidents in recent memory, it's a race against time to rescue the helpless crew as they battle the rising swells and powerful gale force winds.

At the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Fareham, a mayday call from an elderly walker as he's ended up stuck in the mud. This quickly turns into a risky life-threatening operation involving the Coastguard Rescue Teams and a Search and Rescue Helicopter. Fighting time and the deteriorating cold weather, the anxiety builds to see if the teams can find, access and extract the casualty, before it's too late.

Meanwhile, the Fixed Wing Plane is out monitoring the sea from above when they come across crew members on a fishing trawler not wearing life jackets. This is fed back to HQ and an inspection of the vessel takes place to check all is well on board and to inform the crew of the flight's findings.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Regulatory Compliance Investigations Team look into an incident on the Isles of Scilly, where passengers on a speedboat were lucky to escape with their lives intact. The investigating team must head back to the scene, to examine how an accident like this could occur and to gather evidence which leads to a prosecution.

The coastguard rescue helicopter crew from Caernarfon take a call about an eight-year-old child suffering from appendicitis, on Wales' highest mountain, Snowdon. As the team arrive, they see a hoard of walkers which hinders their approach but upon making contact with the eight-year-old, the mother takes a turn for the worst, leaving the team to worry about an extra casualty.

In Newquay, a coastguard rescue helicopter is tasked with rescuing a French yacht in serious trouble in the English Channel. Eight people are on board the yacht, which is being battered by Storm Claudio. The helicopter crew not only have to navigate around the ferocious weather but try to somehow land a winch paramedic on the vessel and extract eight people before the yacht is completely engulfed by the waves.

In the Scottish Mountains, the coastguard rescue helicopter team from Inverness search for a walker who has taken a nasty fall. As they approach the rocky mountains, they see the casualty but also his dog, which comes as a surprise. In an emotional extraction the casualty has to be separated from his dog to ensure all can be rescued safely.

In Wales, the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Caernarfon is tasked with helping a kite surfer in trouble at sea. As time ticks away, the risk to the surfer's well-being increases, so the crew quickly prepare for the worst as they have no idea what they'll find when they arrive on scene.

On the Port of Tyne, the Survey and Inspection team head onto a Singaporean bulk carrier that has been in port for 17 days. The vessel is carrying high-risk cargo and if a major fault is found during the inspection the vessel could be detained.

A 999 call comes in from an individual who has been caught out by the incoming tide after going for a swim and is alone among hazardous rocks. The Newquay Coastguard Helicopter takes on an intricate and challenging rescue.

The fixed wing airplane goes on a counter pollution-tasked flight over British waters. The team fly over an area with a peculiar sheen, which you'd normally find on a fuel station floor. The data is quickly sent back to HQ, where the counter pollution team get to the bottom of these findings.

The Newquay Coastguard Rescue Helicopter crew receive a call that a climber is injured along the face of nearby sea cliffs. An awkward and challenging rescue lies ahead as the area is a popular climbing destination, so an extraction is not going to be easy.

In Fareham, at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, a fishing vessel triggers a distress signal, raising concern for the crew's welfare. With no time to dwell, and being unable to make contact with the vessel, the team organise lifeboats and nearby trawlers to help before it's too late.

Off the coast of Devon, a couple are in serious danger as ferocious waves sweep their yacht onto rocks, causing severe damage to the vessel and putting their lives in jeopardy.

In international waters, British sailors have sustained serious injuries while involved in a race across the Atlantic Ocean. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre receives the mayday but, with the vessel being in such a remote part of the world, the rescue has its own challenges.

The Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Caernarfon is midway through a training flight when it receives a call about an injured person trapped in a ravine. The team fly to the dramatic setting, to find out that an extraction will be more complex than was first thought.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency surveyors are on the River Tyne in Newcastle as a passenger ferry is due an inspection. The ferry is thoroughly looked over as the evacuation and fire drill exercises take prominence. If the crew fail the exercises, the MCA won't allow them to carry passengers and operate their ferry service.

A lady has taken a nasty fall off a beach wall in the North East of England. Paramedics are on scene but the Coastguard Rescue Team on the ground must help guide the casualty and the Ambulance Crew to a safer place.

The Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Inverness is tasked with assisting in a missing person search in and around the area of Ben Nevis. As the crew carry out the search from the air, they and the teams on the ground know that time is of the essence.

In the middle of the day, a motor-powered yacht is in serious trouble along the South Coast. Sinking fast, the two casualties on board call for help and the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Lydd is tasked and have to use all their expertise as they take part in a nail-biting rescue.

A fixed-wing aircraft is flying over UK waters. During the flight, using the advanced technology on board the team observes a vessel operating in a potentially unsafe manner. The footage is sent back to teams at the MCA for review, to see if action is required.

A tanker is to be re-inspected by MCA surveyors in Teesport. The vessel had failed its inspection and was detained and has been docked for 15 days. If the surveyors don't see any previous deficiencies rectified or improvement made, the tanker will not be released.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Fareham receive a 999 call from a passer-by who can hear someone in distress under Boscombe Pier, Bournemouth. The Maritime Operations Officer has to keep the caller calm and retrieve as much info as they can, while other team members send various assets to the scene.

In Prestwick, Scotland, the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter is tasked to a cardiac arrest in the Lake District, but during the flight they are stood down. As the weather worsens, with severe lightning, heavy rain and poor visibility, the crew are sent to another incident. The severe weather makes the mission even more challenging.

Off the Mull of Kintyre, an around-the-UK rowing boat challenge goes disastrously wrong as horrendous weather puts five rowers' lives in jeopardy. The Search and Rescue Helicopter crew at Prestwick are tasked with locating and saving the stranded and isolated rowers despite pitch black visibility, as the boat edges closer to an area of treacherous rocks.

Over on the west coast of Wales, MCA surveyors make an unannounced visit to a harbour. Two vessels that have been previously inspected are assessed again to check that they are safe, and that deficiencies have been addressed. If not, they will be detained and not allowed to go to sea.

On the south coast, a Coastguard Rescue Team is called to an incident onboard a commercial shipping vessel. A crewman is injured and in severe pain but located in an awkward part of the ship. With a suspected broken femur, and the situation becoming increasingly worse, the paramedics require the help of the Coastguard for a successful extraction.

In Sussex,at the iconic Seven Sisters cliffs, a family's sightseeing holiday quickly turns into a fight for survival when they become trapped between coves as the tide comes in and the weather takes a turns for the worse. The Coastguard Helicopter from Lydd is tasked with one of the most challenging rescues possible against the chalky white cliffs.

In the first episode, Totland Bay in the Isle of Wight is the scene of a dangerous boating accident which has left three passengers with serious injuries. Lead investigator Mark Cam of the MCA's Regulatory Compliance Investigations Team (RCIT) examines the incident and to investigate why this near fatal disaster happened. What ensues is a near 18-month investigation with RCIT seeking criminal charges toward the skipper and ultimately, justice for the unfortunate passengers on board.

An 85-year-old woman calls the emergency services as she hangs on for dear life, while treacherous waves crash against her in Llanaber, North Wales. As she clings onto the rocks of the beach's sea defenses, panicked that she can't hold on for much longer, the phone line is disconnected. With little time to waste, the Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) tasks Barmouth Coastguard Rescue Team, as well as Rescue Helicopter 936 from Caernarfon, to search along the coastline. Rescue 936 find it difficult to locate the casualty and MRCC aren't able to make contact, as time is of the essence during this nerve shredding search.

At Bassets Cove in Cornwall, passers-by call for help as they've noticed a couple who have been stranded on a rock cut off by the tide, on the formidable Cornish coastline. Portreath and St. Agnes Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRT) as well as St. Ives Lifeboat are tasked to the location but no one can get a visual of the couple. It seems the powerful swell has knocked them off the rock and propelled them into a cave. With a risk to life for all involved and sea conditions getting worse, two Coastguard Rescue Helicopter teams along with the CRTs will be involved in one of the most dramatic and dangerous missions in recent memory.

A distress call from a satellite phone comes in from the uninhabitable granite islet Rockall. The casualty was out raising money for charity when the weather turned for the worse and became a threat to his life. Approximately 240 nautical miles away in Stornoway, Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 948 is the only option with the capability to help save the casualty, even though the tasking is just outside their operational remit. So time and fuel are the key factors to everyone's survival.

MCA Surveyor Chris receives two complaints about a foreign registered ship, currently docked in Teesport. Initial reports state a dangerous gangway that is an unsafe means of access for crew members. This can lead to serious injury and in some cases, loss of life. On arrival to inspect the vessel, Chris not only spots the hazardous gangway but a host of other issues which could mean detention of the vessel.

In Aberdaron, north Wales, an onlooker spots a dog down the side of a cliff, with no sign of the owner. Aeronautical Rescue are alerted by the Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre as they fear the owner of the animal may have fallen down the cliff. Rescue Helicopter 936, as well as Aberdaron Coastguard Rescue Team are both tasked with a search for a possible missing person and to rescue the marooned dog.

Five people are stranded down Trevone round hole in Cornwall with Newquay and Padstow Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRTs) tasked to help the isolated casualties. The 80 foot blow hole is linked to the sea and can easily flood when the tide comes in, so the CRTs waste no time in setting up their kit for a technical rope rescue as they'll need to send a cliff technician down the hole to save the casualties.

The Coastguard Rescue helicopter crew from Newquay fly 60 miles into the English Channel as they are tasked to an incident on a cruise liner, where a passenger is having a suspected stroke. With the cruise liner trucking along, the helicopter flies alongside the vessel and successfully winches down the Coastguard Paramedic. With no time to waste the casualty is winched up on a gurney, along with his wife, as it's a race against time to get the individual to hospital for urgent medical care.

The Survey and Inspection team are investigating a collision between a fishing vessel and a passenger ferry in East Loch Tarbert, Scotland. The skipper of the fishing vessel has reported that his boat has been damaged by the ferry, which is resulting in a serious loss of income. Surveyor Bill visits both parties to investigate how and why this collision occurred.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Holyhead receive a mayday call from a beach warden at Barmouth, north Wales about a one-yea- old baby who is unconscious. The team leader must act fast as the limited information they've received is incredibly worrying. With fresh reports coming in that the baby is having seizures, and on the ground medical assistance is at least 40 minutes away, the MRCC request to task Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 936 as there's no time to waste.

With one of the worst winter storms recorded in recent memory, Storm Babet rips through parts of the UK. With mass flooding in Brechin, Scotland, the MCA deploys specialist flood teams to rescue residents from potentially fatal conditions and help one local whose home has been destroyed and is close to losing her beloved pets.

In Eryri/Snowdonia National Park, Llanberis Mountain Rescue inform the emergency services of a walker with a serious laceration to his head. Helicopter Rescue 936 from Caernarfon are tasked to the incident and on arrival must winch the paramedic down in tricky circumstances, so the casualty can be assessed asap. It's an anxious wait to hear back from the ground as the helicopter crew work out a plan, with fuel and time is against them.

On the West Coast of Scotland, the police have received reports concerning modern slavery, human trafficking as well as crew member welfare, and are being assisted in the investigation by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The multi-agency operation, which also involves Border Force officers, have warrants to board vessels and if any illegality is found it could lead to possible fines, detentions and criminal charges.

The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Holyhead receive a call from a worried son. The caller's elderly father was out bait digging at Llandudno West Shore Beach and is yet to return home. He was last seen approximately six hours ago and the beach is high risk for being cut off by the tide. With light rapidly fading the MRCC waste no time in tasking Llandudno and Bangor Coastguard Rescue Teams as well as informing the police about the missing person, as they fear the worst.

Holywell Bay in Cornwall is the setting for an individual stuck on a cliff face. Coastguard Rescue teams from Newquay and St Agnes have been tasked, and upon arrival they realise the terrain is far too dangerous for them to accomplish the rescue. The RNLI Lifeboat from Newquay is also on scene but out of reach of the casualty, so Rescue Helicopter 924 is tasked to attempt a daring rescue.

A yacht near Newhaven looks to be in trouble close to the shore during strong winds and rough tide. Coastguard Helicopter Rescue 163 must do what they can to save the skipper's life. A Coastguard Fixed Wing surveillance flight is tasked to investigate potential sources of marine pollution. Using state-of-the-art technology, they notice a large patch of possible oil or chemical pollution.

A witness calls the police to report a boat crashing into a buoy at high speed at Poole Harbour in Dorset. Mark Cam, lead investigator at the MCA's Regulatory Compliance Investigations Team, is asked to assist with the case, as possible manslaughter charges could be pending. Also, a Maritime Operations officer takes a call from a witness on Rhoscolyn beach in Wales about a 75-year-old man having a possible stroke.

A commercial fishing vessel runs right into a private fishing vessel off the South Coast, a collision which is caught on camera. In the early hours, the Spanish Coastguard is in touch with Stornoway Coastguard as a Spanish fishing trawler has two casualties with very serious injuries. In County Durham, a walker reports that her dog has gone over a cliff at Nose's Point.

Out in the Baltic Sea, a UK-registered vessel collides with a Danish-registered ship, capsizing it and leaving two crew members missing and feared dead. A fishing trawler sends out a distorted mayday in the North Sea, suggesting it is taking on water. In Cornwall, Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team is called to a casualty who has fallen on a coastal path.

Coastguard helicopter rescue 936 is tasked to southwest Scotland, where a bodyboarder has been dragged out to sea in extremely rough waters. MCA Principle Marine Surveyor Chris receives an anonymous complaint about a vessel operating around a North Sea wind farm. In Lincolnshire, the Cleethorpes coastguard rescue team come to the rescue of a woman stuck up to her thighs in mud.

Coastguard helicopter rescue 924 from Newquay investigates an emergency French-coded radio beacon that was activated approximately 40 miles off the coast of Land's End, in the middle of the night. In North Wales, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Holyhead receives a call from a worried son about his 83-year-old father, who has gone missing during a walk on a coastal path.

In, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, the Coastguard receives a call from a shaken bystander that somebody has fallen off the cliff at Ramore Head and is visibly seriously injured. On the Kyle Rhea Strait over in the Highlands of Scotland, a large foreign vessel ran aground in the middle of the night, alerting the Coastguard as well as the MCA's Survey and Inspection team.

In the Irish Sea, a skipper alerts the Coastguard to a medical emergency - a deteriorating scuba diver who seems to be suffering from decompression sickness. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Survey and Inspection team conduct unannounced inspections of boats on the River Thames in London. Also, there's a 14-year-old who is having difficulty breathing in Snowdonia, Eryri National Park.