Tynemouth, and Cullercoats, Northum- berland. At 2.10 on the afternoon of the 5th August, 1961, the life-boat Tynesider stationed at Tynemouth was launched on a routine combined exer- cise with a helicopter from No. 228 Squadron, R.A.F. Acklington, North- umberland. There was a gentle south- easterly breeze with a slight sea. The tide was ebbing. The life-boat made for a pre-arranged rendezvous about half a mile off Brown's Point, Culler- coats, and communication was estab- lished with the helicopter by V.H.F.

radio-telephone. The helicopter drop- ped a dinghy, and an officer of the R.A.F., who was on board the life- boat, was placed in the dinghy and cast off. The helicopter then picked him up by winch-hook and hauled him into the aircraft. He was then landed on the stern of the life-boat. This operation was repeated a second time.

The third part of the exercise was then begun. The officer was once more placed in the dinghy and assumed to be injured, and one of the heli- copter's crew was lowered as if to give him help. Both were to be picked up later. Shortly after the second man had been lowered into the dinghy the engine of the helicopter, which at the time was hovering about ten to fifteen feet above the water, failed completely, and the helicopter crashed into the sea with its tail across the dinghy. Both men in the dinghy were thrown into the sea, but the remaining two members of the helicopter's crew managed to escape from their machine.

The life-boat turned and approached the four floating men, and by means of lifebuoys and lines they were all hauled on board the life-boat. The helicopter sank almost at once. The four men were given rum, biscuits and hot soup and were landed at the life-boathouse at 4.12.

The exercise had been watched from Cullercoats, and as soon as the heli- copter was seen to crash into the sea the life-boat E.C.J.R., on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 3.25 with a doctor aboard. By the time she reached the scene the crew of the helicopter had already been rescued by the Tynemouth life-boat, and she dropped an anchor with a marker buoy to indicate the position where the helicopter had disappeared. The Cullercoats life-boat then returned to her station, which was reached at 4.5.

The helicopter was successfully salvaged by the R.A.F. two days later..