IT was the 8th of August in Porth- dinllaen. Mr. Jones and his two nephews had gone sailing in their small auxiliary yacht Waterbell; but when they did not return by half-past eight, Mrs. Jones became worried.

At 8.50 p.m. she telephoned the life- boat authorities.

The coastguards confirmed that the yacht had passed through Bardsey Sound; and at ten past ten the Porth- dinllaen life-boat launched. The cox- swain was away on annual leave, and Second Coxswain Dop was in com- mand. At seven, the flood tide had started making to the north-east, and the wind was freshening quickly from the north-west. Along the lee shore from Bardsey Island to Porthdinllaen there was a rough and confused sea.

The "Waterbell" is Sighted The night was very dark by now; little could be seen. The life-boat searched along the coast without luck, until half an hour after midnight, when she saw a light flashing. It was the crew of the Waterbell trying to signal. The yacht was anchored close to Forth Oer (ten miles south-west of Porthdinllaen) in a mass of breaking water. There seemed to be a reef to seaward of her. The coxswain reported on the radio telephone that he had found her, and asked for the Coastguard L.S.A. team to be sent at once.

The wind was now much stronger, and increasing. Blowing athwart the tide and the strong eddies off the coast, it was piling seas over the life-boat from every side. Second Coxswain Dop thought at first that there would not be enough room to turn the life- boat between the yacht and the shore.

He also decided not to anchor and veer down on the yacht as she was sheering badly and the sea bottom was very rocky. So he tried to go in stern first on the Waterbell's starboard side.

A Risk Taken He failed. He then made up his mind to risk not being able to turn the life-boat inshore of the Waterbell and, after one or two abortive tries, took her in, bows first, alongside the yacht's lee. The three men aboard her jumped into the life-boat, and the coxswain brought his craft out stern first. On the way out, her after cock- pit filled with sea water more than once; but she came out safely and took the rescued men to Porthdin- llaen. They got there at five-thirty next morning.

Exceptional Seamanship For his intrepid seamanship, Second Coxswain William Dop was awarded the silver medal of the Institution. One of the three men saved, an ex-merchant seaman, said that he was astounded that the life-boat had been able to get in and alongside; he thought it an exceptional piece of seamanship, and very brave.

The Institution's thanks on vellum was awarded to Reserve Mechanic Cyril G. O'Dell, whose operation and control of the engines during the crisis of the rescue showed high efficiency and cour- age. Extra money awards of £2 were made to all nine members of the crew.

The Waterbell eventually dragged ashore, but was salvaged later.

Chart of the Service On the next page there is reproduced a chart of this service at Porthdinllaen.

The larger diagram, which is to scale, shows the approximate route of the life-boat along the coast, from its launching until it squared down upon the yacht Waterbell off Porth Oer.

The direction of the wind and the flood tide is marked and the two-fathom line all along the coast. The one- fathom line is shown for the area immediately to seaward of the distressed yacht.

The inset, although not to scale, is an effective enlargement of the spot where the actual rescue took place, and gives some idea of the difficult situation in which the life-boat found herself..