Coxswain L. C. Pennycord of Selsey died in May 1960 at the age of 69. He served as second coxswain from 1932 to 1936 and was coxswain from 1936 to 1952. During his last year of service he was awarded the bronze medal for gallantry for the rescue of the crew of six of the m.v. Swift, registered in Costa Rica. The life-boat stood by for seven and a half hours in a gale through a December night, and the coxswain finally had to bring her along three separate times to enable the crew to jump. For two days afterwards he was completely blind from spray..