yesterday morning, leaving one man "dead.'' And in the afternoon, an extensive offshore search for a vessel and its survivors was carried out 12 miles off St. David's.

A bit too much excitement, perhaps, for one day on Bermuda's waters. But yesterday's elaborate plots were necessary to test the responsiveness and capabilities of local search and rescue teams.

"The objective of the exercise was to test the capabilities and co-ordination of the local search and rescue units and to highlight any deficiencies,'' said Senior Marine Services officer Mr. Mike Dolding.

"It went very well. What we will now do is have a wash-up plan next Tuesday to discuss the operation -- how it went and what we could do to make it better next time around.'' The exercise was divided into two parts, an inshore rescue and an offshore search, involving approximately 50 men.

The rescue, code-named "Goldfish,'' involved a charter tour boat, Cleopatra , which had suffered an explosion and fire. Her seven-man crew from the US Navy was forced to abandon the vessel shortly after 9 a.m. in North Channel.

Marine Police quickly arrived on the scene and were able to save six of the crew members, one of whom suffered severe burns, before the Royal Navy put in an appearance.

In the second exercise, code-named "Sharkbait,'' an offshore search for a vessel and survivors was conducted some 11 miles off St. David's.

A call by Harbour Radio to Marine and Ports, the Dept. of Agriculture and Fisheries, Police Marine section, the Royal Navy and the US Navy, brought help to the site.

"We deployed a raft with a dummy tied to it and four lifebuoys (for the search),'' said Mr. Dolding. "We dumped them overboard at about 8.30 a.m., went back to the dock, turned everything over to the team and told them to head out to sea. Harbour Radio took over and directed them to start search patterns. They didn't know what we dumped or where we dumped it.'' Mr. Dolding added that a computer programme enabled the team to work out the rate of drifting.

"They found the life raft with the dummy and three of the four buoys that we put out,'' he said. "It was fairly bumpy out there with 10 to 12 knot seas, not exactly optimum conditions. It was the sort of thing you might expect in real life.

"The Navy helicopter couldn't participate. It was a big disappointment because one of the main reasons the exercise was held was to co-ordinate our various resources and see how they could work together reasonably successfully.

"Before, helicopters and marine services could never talk directly to each other -- they had to communicate through Harbour Radio. We now have a VHF radio in both and this would've been the first time we would have been able to test communications.'' Mr. Dolding said the St. David and the helicopter had also been fitted with fine Global Positioning Systems (GPS), enabling them to accurately co-ordinate their positions with each other.

The GPS enables the helicopter to spot a target and note its latitude and longitude. The positioning can then be transferred through the system which is able to calculate where the object should be, allowing for changing tides and drifting.

"The helicopter can transfer the position to other boats and they can plug in and head straight for it,'' he said. "This way they have a greater chance for success.

"Some of the people in the offshore exercise hadn't done this sort of rescue before. It's probable that with the rescues over the next few months, at least some of these men will be involved in the operation.'' A real-life rescue was made on the search party's return voyage when a boater was spotted with propeller trouble. The fisherman was towed back into St.

George's.