Military Historian Dan Snow's Bid to Rescue Tourists Halted.

TV presenter Dan Snow's mission to bring back home people stranded in France has been halted by officials. The historian had filled three rigid inflatable boats with 25 people but was told by officials in Calais that he would not be able to return.

BBC News

It's funny because when this volcano went off and I heard about all the passengers being stranded, I had a random thought, imagining if people suddenly launched a rescue operation by sea like at Dunkirk.

It's amusing and admirable that Dan Snow did this, but it's also sad that it was halted without any explanation.

Health and safety? I suppose if somebody fell out of a boat and drowned, then Dan Snow and his group would get the hell sued out of them.

Still....interesting nonetheless.

[edit on 18/4/10 by Kram09]

Health and safety? I suppose if somebody fell out of a boat and drowned, then Dan Snow and his group would get the hell sued out of them.

Kind of the TPTB to save Dan from being sued!

I think that is highly unlikely.

What they don't want is an armada of private vessels descending on the port to help out.

reply to post by mirageofdeceit


Three inflatable boats is hardly an armada.

It's so laughable, that they stopped this.

Three boats isn't, but how quickly would word spread once this trip was successful?

You would have hundreds of WAFIs (wind assisted ** idiots) flooding the shipping lanes rescuing their mates or trying to make a lot of money.

Trust me, navigating an oil tanker through there safely is already difficult enough for a professional when you are only dealing with the normal commercial traffic. Add in an armada of sailing vessels crossing the TSS whose owners don't understand the collision regulations very well and you have a recipe for disaster.

Would be utter carnage.

[edit on 18/4/10 by cheesyleps]