Additional information from Dover Police:
On August 27, 2024, at approximately 3:36 p.m., Dover Police received a call from an individual in Albania reporting that her brother’s boat was sinking in the English Channel off the coast of Dover, England. The caller had searched the internet for “Dover Police” and the first search result on the screen turned out to be Dover, Delaware Police. The family member thought they were calling Dover, England, but was connected to our agency here in the United States.
Aware of the risks involved in attempting to relay the desperate distress caller, Communications Operator MacKenzie Atkinson left him on the line and began gathering vital information. The caller provided the latitude and longitude coordinates of this vessel, and C/O Atkinson used the skills she had acquired through her training. Priority shipping and their newly acquired certification from the International Academies for Emergency Call Handling and followed protocols for a vessel in distress. While C/O Atkinson continued to work with the caller on the phone, C/O Connor Logan began sending international alerts to rescue the sinking vessel. Within just four minutes he made contact with the following national and international authorities:
-The Kent County 911/Emergency Communications Department
-Delaware River and Bay Authority-Department of the U.S. Coast Guard
-US Coast Guard District 5
-The French Coast Guard
-His Majesty’s Coastguard of England
-Police stations in Dover, England
Maritime and Coast Guard Coordination Centre
Just 15 minutes and 48 seconds after the first distress call, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed that they were en route to rescue the vessel. While all this was happening, the two remaining dispatchers, C/O Patricia Mazzola and C/O Briana Dozier, ensured that all local distress calls were handled and the citizens of Dover continued to receive emergency services without delays. On September 5thth2024, as we continued to follow up on the incident, we received confirmation that the vessel and all persons on board were safely returned to the port of Dover, England as part of this rescue operation. As a result, Emergency Communications Manager Matthew Carey has nominated the group for a Dover PD Award for outstanding unity.
Message from Chief Johnson
“When people hear me say I work with great people, they usually infer that I’m talking about sworn police officers. But let me be clear, I mean everyone. The Dover Police Department has exceptional civilian employees who contribute to our public safety mission. Our communications staff are great examples of this and never get enough credit for being first responders. In this case, their ability to coordinate an international rescue effort while keeping our local community safe is a testament to their exceptional skills and dedication. I will of course accept the award submitted by the ECM and have informed Mayor Christiansen of this exceptional achievement.”
