ACROSS the years Portland Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre has been involved in some huge operations along Dorset’s coast.

Throughout its long history the men and women of Portland Coastguard have been involved in the co-ordination of many rescues, from routine operations like organising tows for stricken vessels to massive search and rescue operations for missing people and co-ordinating salvage operations.

In June 1999, Portland coastguard helped to coordinate the rescue of 156 people after a sudden squall knocked over 78 Dart catamarans which were taking part in a national sailing regatta in Weymouth Bay.

The Portland helicopter Hotel Lima and Weymouth lifeboats were involved in the rescue operation.

Everyone was accounted for and apart from one case of hypothermia, there were no serious injuries.

Coastguards were given special commendations for their tireless work in the wake of the MSC Napoli disaster, where the huge ship carrying thousands of containers, suffered damage to her hull in a storm in January 2007 and she beached off the Devon coast.

Portland coastguards worked to co-ordinate the rescue operation for the crew of 26, limit the effects of oil leaks and floating containers and then deal with the thousands of looters that flocked to Branscombe Beach.

During the period the officers were on high alert, working throughout the day and night.

The Maritime Resource Co-ordination Centre in Portland was awarded an overall commendation for co-ordinating the fast response to the emergency.

Mark Rodaway, who was Coastguard Commander for Dorset at the time, and Lyme Bay sector manager Peter Pritchard also received the Honorary Commodore Award from Prince Charles at Clarence House, for their work.

In January 2008 the Ice Prince cargo ship ran into difficulties in the English Channel and sank.

Portland Coastguard co-ordinated the rescue of 12 crewmen and flew them to safety on Portland, after the ship’s cargo shifted in very poor weather and it started listing and rolling heavily.

The 6,395-ton vessel – which was heading for Alexandria – was carrying 5,258 tonnes of sawn timber which had shifted, causing the ship to list.

Timber washed up along a 10-mile stretch of West Sussex a few days later.

A full-scale air and sea rescue operation was launched after one of Britain’s top scallop divers vanished while diving off the Dorset coast in July 2009.

Portland Coastguard co-ordinated the search, which involved a warship on exercise in the area.

Scallop diver Darren Brown, 41, who is well known for supplying famous chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Mark Hix with his hand-picked scallops, was found swimming with the tide near Ringstead Bay – three miles away from Lulworth Cove.

He was found by Lulworth range safety boat Smit Frome. He had been in the water for three hours.

Sixteen kayakers were saved from the sea in a dramatic rescue in January 2011.

The experienced group got swept into the treacherous Portland Race after trying to go around Portland Bill.

The rescue operation involved Weymouth’s two lifeboats, two rescue helicopters, Coastguard teams and the HM Customs patrol boat Valiant.

All 16 kayakers were safely picked up unharmed by lifeboat crews and returned to Portland Harbour.

A man and a woman were later airlifted to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester suffering from shock and seasickness.

The lifeboats also managed to retrieve every kayak from the water.

In May 2012, members of the public watched horrified as an elderly paraglider smashed into a cliff in West Dorset.

Despite the 180ft drop at Eype, they ran to the cliff edge to sit on the canopy of his parachute to stop the 77-year-old from plunging to the beach below.

The incident sparked a major emergency services rescue operation, with the fire service securing the man before the Portland Coastguard helicopter winched the man, from South Somerset, to safety.

During the same month, a huge search and rescue operation was launched after Weymouth fishing vessel, the Purbeck Isle, went out to sea but never returned.

The search involved Weymouth lifeboats, the Portland helicopter, fishing boats and naval vessels.

The boat was located on the seabed 10 miles off Portland, but tragically all three crewmen were lost.

Following the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics sailing events, Portland Coastguard officers and Wyke Regis coastguard rescue team were given special awards to celebrate their service and dedication.

The lifesavers were presented with a special commemorative coin, specially minted by the Prime Minister, as a thank you to the emergency services who contributed to a safe and secure Olympic Games.

Portland Coastguard station was the main base of operations during the Games and coastguard liaison officers worked in a series of Gold, Silver and Bronze commands across the county together with other emergency services.