Latest news with #TrinityHouse
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Walkers raise £8,000 hiking around Beachy Head lighthouse
Around £8,000 has been raised by 1,000 people who took part in a challenge to walk around a lighthouse in East Sussex at low annual Beachy Head Lighthouse Challenge, which took place on Sunday, involved walkers setting off and returning to Holywell on Eastbourne seafront. The two-hour round trip walk, which is organised by Eastbourne AM Rotary Club, is only possible on certain days of the year due to tide times. The event attracts participants from all over the UK and beyond, with one couple flying in for it from the United States. Organiser Martin Wellings said: "It was another amazing day. "The weather was perfect and we were delighted at the high turnout once again."It really is a unique event which appeals to so many, both local and much further away."Profits go to local charities, while part of the funds raised are set aside towards the next re-paint of the lighthouse. The red and white stripes of Beachy Head lighthouse were repainted in 2013 after a £27,000 fundraising Trinity House had announced in 2011 that it could no longer afford to repaint the distinctive red and white stripes. That sparked a public campaign for the repainting and the first Beachy Head Lighthouse Challenge took place that year.
Scottish Sun
29-04-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
Mystery deepens over infamous UK shipwreck that holidaymaker DROWNED trying to explore as probe is suddenly called off
The SS Vina washed up on shore in 1944 WRECK RIDDLE Mystery deepens over infamous UK shipwreck that holidaymaker DROWNED trying to explore as probe is suddenly called off MYSTERY is swirling over an infamous UK shipwreck where a holidaymaker drowned he tried to explore it. Raymond Mills died on August 17 last year while wading out to see wreckage of the SS Vina, which ran aground off the coast of Norfolk in 1944. 2 Raymond Mills died after getting caught out by the tide when he walked out to explore a shipwreck 2 The SS Vina once carried cargo between the east coast and the Baltic in the 1800s Credit: SWNS Mr Mills got into difficulties in the strong currents near the ship and vanished beneath the water. His granddaughter - who he was with at the time - managed to get back to safety. But Mr Mills' body was later recovered from the water by a rescue helicopter. During an inquest into his death earlier this year, his family called for additional safety measures to be made at the National Trust-owned beach. But the probe has been paused due to an ongoing mystery over the who owns the wreckage. The SS Vina lies 800 metres off Brancaster Beach in Norfolk and is exposed during low tides. It was built in 1894 and carried cargo between the east coast and the Baltic for decades. After being requisitioned by the military and later used as target practice by the RAF, the SS Vina ran ashore in her current resting place on Brancaster Beach. The vessel has become something of a notorious landmark in an area known as Wreck Sands, which can quickly become cut off by fast-moving tides. Mr Mills' family told the inquest at Norfolk Coroner's Court earlier this year, the signage about the dangers of the wreck were inadequate. Watch wreck of 'most advanced ship before Titanic' emerge as it's found 132yrs after sinking with owner's family onboard Samantha Goward, an area coroner, too agreed that action needed to be taken to avoid a repeat of the tragedy. She said she would write to the National Trust to establish what signs there were. However, her investigations have exposed the mystery over who owns the wreck itself and raised questions over what can be done to improve safety. In her report, Mrs Goward said: 'During the course of the investigation my inquiries revealed matters giving rise to concern. 'In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken.' The National Trust said it was not responsible for the wreck. Instead, Ms Goward's investigations indicated the Vina was owned and managed by Trinity House, the organisation responsible for lighthouses and other navigational aids around the coast. She contacted the organisation, as well as Natural England, which was understood to be responsible for the coastal area on which the wreck lies. However, it advised that because the wreck was submerged at high tide, a sign would be impractical. It also said that Trinity House may consider putting a sign on the mast. But Trinity House then told Ms Goward that it was not the legal owner of the wreck and had previously told the National Trust this. Upon further enquiry with HM Coastguard, Ms Goward was told the wreck was privately owned when it was requisitioned in the Second World War by the Ministry of Defence, but records do not show who currently owns it. It was suggested that the Department for Transport may be able to assist with ownership, and the report has been sent to them. Mrs Goward's report continues: 'I have therefore reached a point where I am unable to establish who may be the owner of this wreck and responsible for considering concerns over the lack of signage warning of risks. 'I am concerned that, in light of the above, there is no safe system in place to ensure that an organisation is responsible for the management and safety of such shipwrecks which are accessible by members of the public. 'With no clear system to ensure that the owners can be identified, there is no system to ensure that concerns can be raised with them when safety concerns arise. 'That that wreckage does not have sufficient warnings at the location to alert members of the public, particularly those who are not familiar with the tidal waters.' Mr Mills' widow welcomed the report, calling for the wreck's complete removal. She said: "I wonder how many more people need to lose their life before something is done." "Ideally the wreck should be removed. It's of no significant historical interest. "At the very least, clear signage should appear on the wreck and along the various access routes." Prior to his death, Mr Mills had planned his trip down to the last detail. However, he got into difficulties in the strong currents near the ship and vanished beneath the water. His granddaughter, who he was with at the time, managed to get back to safety. But sadly, Mr Mills' body was later recovered from the water by a rescue helicopter. He was then flown to Norwich Airport but was pronounced dead shortly after the aircraft landed.
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Mystery deepens over infamous UK shipwreck that holidaymaker DROWNED trying to explore as probe is suddenly called off
MYSTERY is swirling over an infamous UK shipwreck where a holidaymaker drowned he tried to explore it. Raymond Mills died on August 17 last year while wading out to see wreckage of the SS Vina, which ran aground off the coast of Norfolk in 1944. 2 Raymond Mills died after getting caught out by the tide when he walked out to explore a shipwreck 2 The SS Vina once carried cargo between the east coast and the Baltic in the 1800s Credit: SWNS Mr Mills got into difficulties in the strong currents near the ship and vanished beneath the water. His granddaughter - who he was with at the time - managed to get back to safety. But Mr Mills' body was later recovered from the water by a During an inquest into his death earlier this year, his family called for additional safety measures to be made at the National Trust-owned beach. read more in shipwreck But the probe has been paused due to an ongoing mystery over the who owns the wreckage. The It was built in 1894 and carried cargo between the east coast and the Baltic for decades. After being requisitioned by the military and later used as target practice by the RAF, the SS Vina ran ashore in her current resting place on Brancaster Beach. Most read in The Sun The vessel has become something of a notorious landmark in an area known as Wreck Sands, which can quickly become cut off by fast-moving tides. Mr Mills' family told the inquest at Norfolk Coroner's Court earlier this year, the signage about the dangers of the wreck were inadequate. Watch wreck of 'most advanced ship before Titanic' emerge as it's found 132yrs after sinking with owner's family onboard Samantha Goward, an area coroner, too agreed that action needed to be taken to avoid a repeat of the tragedy. She said she would write to the National Trust to establish what signs there were. However, her investigations have exposed the mystery over who owns the wreck itself and raised questions over what can be done to improve safety. In her report, Mrs Goward said: 'During the course of the investigation my inquiries revealed matters giving rise to concern. 'In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken.' The National Trust said it was not responsible for the wreck. Instead, Ms Goward's investigations indicated the Vina was owned and managed by Trinity House, the organisation responsible for lighthouses and other navigational aids around the coast. She contacted the organisation, as well as Natural England, which was understood to be responsible for the coastal area on which the wreck lies. However, it advised that because the wreck was submerged at high tide, a sign would be impractical. It also said that Trinity House may consider putting a sign on the mast. But Trinity House then told Ms Goward that it was not the legal owner of the wreck and had previously told the National Trust this. Upon further enquiry with HM Coastguard, Ms Goward was told the wreck was privately owned when it was requisitioned in the Second World War by the Ministry of Defence, but records do not show who currently owns it. It was suggested that the Department for Transport may be able to assist with ownership, and the report has been sent to them. Mrs Goward's report continues: 'I have therefore reached a point where I am unable to establish who may be the owner of this wreck and responsible for considering concerns over the lack of signage warning of risks. 'I am concerned that, in light of the above, there is no safe system in place to ensure that an organisation is responsible for the management and safety of such shipwrecks which are accessible by members of the public. 'With no clear system to ensure that the owners can be identified, there is no system to ensure that concerns can be raised with them when safety concerns arise. 'That that wreckage does not have sufficient warnings at the location to alert members of the public, particularly those who are not familiar with the tidal waters.' Mr Mills' widow welcomed the report, calling for the wreck's complete removal. She said: "I wonder how many more people need to lose their life before something is done." "Ideally the wreck should be removed. It's of no significant historical interest. "At the very least, clear signage should appear on the wreck and along the various access routes." Prior to his death, Mr Mills had planned his trip down to the last detail. However, he got into difficulties in the strong currents near the ship and vanished beneath the water. His granddaughter, who he was with at the time, managed to get back to safety. But sadly, Mr Mills' body was later recovered from the water by a He was then flown to
The Sun
29-04-2025
- General
- The Sun
Mystery deepens over infamous UK shipwreck that holidaymaker DROWNED trying to explore as probe is suddenly called off
MYSTERY is swirling over an infamous UK shipwreck where a holidaymaker drowned he tried to explore it. Raymond Mills died on August 17 last year while wading out to see wreckage of the SS Vina, which ran aground off the coast of Norfolk in 1944. 2 2 Mr Mills got into difficulties in the strong currents near the ship and vanished beneath the water. His granddaughter - who he was with at the time - managed to get back to safety. But Mr Mills' body was later recovered from the water by a rescue helicopter. During an inquest into his death earlier this year, his family called for additional safety measures to be made at the National Trust-owned beach. But the probe has been paused due to an ongoing mystery over the who owns the wreckage. The SS Vina lies 800 metres off Brancaster Beach in Norfolk and is exposed during low tides. It was built in 1894 and carried cargo between the east coast and the Baltic for decades. After being requisitioned by the military and later used as target practice by the RAF, the SS Vina ran ashore in her current resting place on Brancaster Beach. The vessel has become something of a notorious landmark in an area known as Wreck Sands, which can quickly become cut off by fast-moving tides. Mr Mills' family told the inquest at Norfolk Coroner's Court earlier this year, the signage about the dangers of the wreck were inadequate. Watch wreck of 'most advanced ship before Titanic' emerge as it's found 132yrs after sinking with owner's family onboard Samantha Goward, an area coroner, too agreed that action needed to be taken to avoid a repeat of the tragedy. She said she would write to the National Trust to establish what signs there were. However, her investigations have exposed the mystery over who owns the wreck itself and raised questions over what can be done to improve safety. In her report, Mrs Goward said: 'During the course of the investigation my inquiries revealed matters giving rise to concern. 'In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken.' The National Trust said it was not responsible for the wreck. Instead, Ms Goward's investigations indicated the Vina was owned and managed by Trinity House, the organisation responsible for lighthouses and other navigational aids around the coast. She contacted the organisation, as well as Natural England, which was understood to be responsible for the coastal area on which the wreck lies. However, it advised that because the wreck was submerged at high tide, a sign would be impractical. It also said that Trinity House may consider putting a sign on the mast. But Trinity House then told Ms Goward that it was not the legal owner of the wreck and had previously told the National Trust this. Upon further enquiry with HM Coastguard, Ms Goward was told the wreck was privately owned when it was requisitioned in the Second World War by the Ministry of Defence, but records do not show who currently owns it. It was suggested that the Department for Transport may be able to assist with ownership, and the report has been sent to them. Mrs Goward's report continues: 'I have therefore reached a point where I am unable to establish who may be the owner of this wreck and responsible for considering concerns over the lack of signage warning of risks. 'I am concerned that, in light of the above, there is no safe system in place to ensure that an organisation is responsible for the management and safety of such shipwrecks which are accessible by members of the public. 'With no clear system to ensure that the owners can be identified, there is no system to ensure that concerns can be raised with them when safety concerns arise. 'That that wreckage does not have sufficient warnings at the location to alert members of the public, particularly those who are not familiar with the tidal waters.' Mr Mills' widow welcomed the report, calling for the wreck's complete removal. She said: "I wonder how many more people need to lose their life before something is done." "Ideally the wreck should be removed. It's of no significant historical interest. "At the very least, clear signage should appear on the wreck and along the various access routes." Prior to his death, Mr Mills had planned his trip down to the last detail. However, he got into difficulties in the strong currents near the ship and vanished beneath the water. His granddaughter, who he was with at the time, managed to get back to safety. He was then flown to Norwich Airport but was pronounced dead shortly after the aircraft landed.
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Technicians fix beeping lighthouse fog alarm at Land's End
People living near and visiting Land's End can put their ear plugs away, after technicians confirmed they had fixed a fault causing a lighthouse's fog alarm to sound non-stop for about a high-pitched electronic beep noise had been heard coming from Longships lighthouse, about 1.25 miles (2km) off the Cornish authority Trinity House said the beep, which was sounding every 13 seconds, was fixed on said the noise was the result of a technical issue which caused the low visibility hazard warning signal to sound even when the view was clear. Trinity House said: "While we aim to resolve such technical issues as quickly as we can, the offshore location made access more difficult in this instance. "Thankfully we were able to secure the use of the helicopter and get our technicians out to the lighthouse, where they quickly identified and fixed the issue."
