Air search team has busiest autumn for call-outs

The Channel Islands Air Search said its team responded to a record number of callouts in autumn

Channel Islands Air Search responded to a record number of call-outs in September and October, bosses have said.

The team, which is deployed to incidents across 4,000 sq miles (6,437 sq km) of water surrounding the Channel Islands and the French coast, said it experienced a "significant increase" in call-outs in autumn.

Volunteers said they responded to 12 call-outs, with two stood down, between 1 September and 27 October.

It compared with one call-out for the same period in 2023, the service said.

The Channel Islands Air Search team is made up of volunteers

It said call-outs this year equated to about 25 hours of airborne searching time, with the crew contributing more than 200 hours of their time.

The service said on average it expected between 30 and 40 calls a year, with most of those being a "life in danger situation".

John Fitzgerald, from the service, said the increase in call-outs was "testament to the skills of the crew and the sophistication of the kit on board the aircraft".

"We're now a key search and rescue asset for the wider community, responding to 26 call-outs this year alone when lives were at risk," he said.