A government research conservation worker was left stranded near the airport roundabout last week after his boat went missing.

The vessel, which had been donated to Conservation Services after being found adrift without registration details, was discovered in Mullet Bay the next day, having been reclaimed by the original owner.

This has prompted a reminder from the Department of Marine and Ports Services about the importance of “always displaying a current Marine & Ports registration number in a visible location”.

According to the incident report, police called Bermuda Radio at about 10.40pm on July 20, reporting that the worker, who had secured his boat to the floating dock, had become stranded.

“After further investigation, it was discovered that the vessel was previously donated to Conservation Services after being found adrift without registration details, and unsuccessful attempts to locate owner,” the report added. “The boat was discovered in Mullet Bay the next day, July 21, with the original owner claiming that the boat was his and had paperwork to prove so.

“Marine & Ports’ records were checked and the boat matched [the] owner’s original registration, however, it was not displaying a current registration sticker.

“This incident highlights the importance of always displaying a current Marine & Ports registration number in a visible location, allowing quick identification by [the] vessel owner or other responders as need be.”

In a separate incident shortly after 7pm on Monday, a local salvage company sent a vessel to assist the inbound S/V Aventura Azul, which had reported engine failure 20 nautical miles south of Bermuda and was requesting a tow into St George’s Harbour.

Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre contacted Bermuda Yacht Services who tasked Line 2 to assist and the sailing vessel was berthed safely alongside in St George’s Harbour shortly after midnight.

Meanwhile, police were sent to the John Smith’s Bay area on Sunday after Bermuda Radio received multiple calls from members of the public reporting a distress flare off South Shore.

Bermuda Radio started Urgent Marine Information Broadcasts and dispatched a police land unit. But without further reports or sightings and no response to the broadcasts, no further action was taken.