The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCGA) have this week celebrated and awarded the Isle of Wight’s Sector Manager, Michael Forsyth-Caffrey, with a medal for long service and one for good conduct for over 20 years of dedicated service to Her Majesty’s Coastguard.
Mick, as he known to colleagues, was one of a number of officers who work around the Solent area to receive medals this week for giving 20 years or more service to HM Coastguard, delivering an emergency service to the public in a geographical area from East Sussex to the Hampshire/Dorset Border including the Isle of Wight. This accounts for 3,000 sq miles of sea and 250 miles of coastline and some of the busiest commercial and leisure seaways in the UK.
Peter Dymond, Chief Coastguard at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, presented medals to the recipients aboard HMS Warrior on Tuesday evening.
Mick has served in a variety of roles with the Coastguard including Watch Officer and Operations Manager at Clyde Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. In the last 12 years whilst living on the Island, Mick and his Coastguard Rescue Teams (some of which are pictured to the right on a training exercise) have done a sterling job providing a coastal emergency response and integrating with other emergency services in a variety of joint operations.
Some notable incidents that Mick has overseen include the tragic death of Robert Hayball, who drove his vehicle off of Culver Cliff, as well as a number of other coastal deaths, maritime incidents and missing person searches right across the Isle of Wight.
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