Channel Islands Air Search praised in letter from Prince William

Tuesday 14 January 2025

The future King has expressed his "admiration" and "heartfelt thanks" to the volunteers of a Channel Island search and rescue charity.

In a letter sent to Channel Islands Air Search from Kensington Palace, Prince William praised the "extraordinary professionalism" and "commitment" of those involved within the organisation.

He wrote: "It is amazing what you collectively achieve each year.

"I know that each of you will have had personal experiences that stay with you no matter the number of rescues or hours spent flying."

We are truly honoured to receive a letter from Prince William.

Supporting the search and rescue community is at the core of everything we do.#SearchAndRescue #Volunteer pic.twitter.com/0mEiVr320G

— CI Air Search (@CIAirSearch) January 13, 2025

The local charity shared the letter on social media and said: "We are truly honoured to receive a letter from Prince William.

"Supporting the search and rescue community is at the core of everything we do."

Channel Islands Air Search is a voluntary service providing a rapid response airborne search and rescue service in Channel Island waters.

The charity operates on a 24 hour, 365 day basis in all weather conditions.

Its latest annual report revealed that Channel Islands Air Search responded to twice as many call-outs in 2024 than in 2023.

The charity was called on 32 times last year – an average of one call-out every 11.4 days and an increase from the 16 call-outs recorded the year before. 

Of those 32 calls, the crew were stood down before take-off on eight occasions, where the casualty had already been located. 

The crew also took part in 56 flight exercises, monthly ground training sessions and a number of fundraising events and presentations.

CLICK TO READ IN FULL: The letter to Channel Islands Air Search written by Prince William.

Notable call-outs last year included assisting search efforts for a woman who died after going overboard from a cruise ship near Alderney, locating a missing solo sailor who was towed back to Jersey by the RNLI, and helping the Guernsey Police to find a missing person on the island's north coast.

The 20-strong Channel Islands Air Search crew complement includes pilots, search directors and observers – all volunteers – who collectively gave over 2,050 hours of voluntary service during the year.

However, the annual report also highlighted that fundraising "remains a challenge" for the charity.

"Fundraising remains a challenge as there is a trend for large corporate donations to be steered towards wellbeing and sustainability projects, as well as those suffering from the cost of living crisis rather than running costs for charities such as ours," it said.

"Annual running costs are now in the region of £300,000 per annum, and the efforts of David Hugo and his team of fundraisers in Guernsey, and the recently revitalised Jersey fundraising team are vital and very much appreciated by the crew and trustees.

"The Lions Clubs of Guernsey and Jersey continue to provide valuable financial support, and in 2024, five new survival suits were donated, costing in the region of £1,600 each.

"Channel Islands Air Search remains extremely grateful to the employers of its crew members for allowing them to leave work and respond to emergency call-outs. Without that support, the service would simply not be able to operate."