DOVER, DE - What began as a mistaken call from across the world became an international life-saving effort by Dover Police communications operators when a person in Albania called to report a sinking boat in England.
According to police, on August 27th, the Dover Police Department received an international call from the Southern European country of Albania just after 3:30 p.m. The caller told dispatchers their brother’s boat was sinking in the English Channel off the coast of Dover, England, and the caller had looked up the contact information for “Dover Police Department.” The internet search had brought up Dover, Delaware police information, according to authorities, though the caller thought they were speaking with British responders.
Dover Police say the communications operator, MacKenzie Atkinson, recognized the urgency of the situation and kept the international caller on the phone to collect critical information.
"If I was that caller I'd want whoever I spoke to at the time to just stay on the line with me, keep me calm, and just get me to the right department," Atkinson said.
The caller provided coordinates of their brother’s vessel, which Atkinson then used in following protocols for a vessel in distress.
"Then I just kept him on the line, told him my partner was starting to help," said Atkinson. "Then I gave Connor the coordinates that the male subject had gave me, and then we started to put them in and figure out where they were located."
Meanwhile, dispatcher Connor Logan made efforts to alert both domestic and international agencies. Police say within minutes, Logan contacted the following:
-The Kent County 911/Division of Emergency Communications
-Delaware River and Bay Authority Section of the U.S. Coast Guard
-U.S. Coast Guard District 5
-The French Coast Guard
-His Majesty's Coast Guard of England
-Dover, England Police Stations
-Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Coordination Center
"It felt really good," Logan said. "Made me proud to be apart of this team. We definitely do a lot of training and it's a very good feeling to be able to help someone so far away."
Dispatcher Atkinson agreed.
"I felt pretty good knowing that we were able to save the vessel that wasn't located within the United States," Atkinson said.
According to Dover police, just under 16 minutes after the initial call from Albania, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed they were on their way to rescue the boater in the English Channel.
Two other dispatchers, Patricia Mazzola and Briana Dozier, ensured Dover residents still received emergency responses without delay while the international efforts were underway.
On September 5th, police say a follow-up on the incident confirmed that all people on board the boat were safely brought back to the Port of Dover, England.
“When folks hear me say that ‘I work with great people’, they usually infer that I’m talking about sworn police officers,” Dover Police Chief Johnson said. “But let me just set the record straight that I mean everybody when I say that. The Dover Police Department has extraordinary civilian contributors to our public safety mission. Our Communications Operators are great examples of that and never get enough credit for being first responders. In this case, their ability to coordinate an international rescue effort while maintaining the safety of our local community is a testament to their exceptional skill and commitment. I will, of course, be approving the commendation submitted by the ECM and have informed Mayor Christiansen of this extraordinary success.”
