ON the 22nd October, 1961, the motor vessel Halronell, on passage from New- port, Monmouthshire, to Haulbowline, Co. Cork, encountered heavy weather off the Coningbeg lightvessel, and her bridge was damaged. Her master deci- ded to return to Rosslare Harbour, and in doing so ran ashore on Black rock to the west of Carnsore Point. It was then 6.40 in the evening. The master decided to abandon ship, and an inflat- able raft with a canopy was made ready by seven o'clock. A deck-hand had already embarked in the raft when the nylon painter parted and the raft was carried away. The remainder of the crew of five decided to make for the bridge for shelter, but in trying to do so two men were washed overboard by the heavy seas.

There was a south-west-by-south gale blowing, and because of the pounding the vessel was receiving the men were unable to make any distress signals until 10.55. Then by breaking a window in the wheelhouse they managed to reach the rocket stand and fire six rockets. These were seen by the Barrels lightvessel, and a report was im- mediately passed to the Kilmore and Rosslare Harbour life-boat stations.

The position of the flares was given as three miles north of the lightvessel, but as this was inland, enquiries were made of the Coast Life-Saving Service at Carne for news of any vessel ashore in Carnsore Bay.

Difficulty in Boarding The Rosslare Harbour life-boat Douglas Hyde, one of the 46-feet 9- inches Watson type, left her moorings at 12.55. The weather was so bad that the crew had some difficulty in boarding her. The life-boat rounded Carnsore Point and began searching in the area of the Barrels rocks. Then at 2.43 the St.

David's coastguard informed the cox- swain that the casualty was ashore on Black rock. The life-boat reached this position twenty minutes later and anchored westward of the rocks. The cable was veered until the life-boat was within twenty yards of the rocks. A parachute flare was then fired. This illuminated the wreck, and the search- light was switched on to her.

There was no sign of life on board the wreck. However, the breeches buoy was prepared, but about 3.40 the life-boat's anchor started to drag, and the cox- swain was forced to cut the cable when the life-boat was ten yards from the rocks and to go ahead on his engines.

Five minutes later the motor vessel broke up, and the coxswain decided to lie off to leeward to pick up any possible survivors. The life-boat stayed in the area until 5.15. She then returned to Rosslare Harbour to refuel and get another anchor.

Arm Waving from Wheelhouse At 8.40 in the morning the life-boat was again in the area of the rock. By this time the Irish corvette Macha was approaching. She hove to about a mile and a half to seaward of Black rock.

The life-boat continued to circle the rock for some time, and then suddenly her crew saw an arm waving from what remained of the wheelhouse. The Kil- more life-boat Ann Isabella Pyemont, one of the 35-feet 6-inches Liverpool type, had also been launched at 10.15 in the morning, and she too tried to reach the wreck. Neither life-boat was able to go alongside.

A helicopter and a Shackleton air- craft had also taken off, and the heli- copter succeeded in hauling three men off the wreck and putting them aboard the Kilmore life-boat.

The Kilmore life-boat returned with survivors to her station, which she reached at 1.45 on the afternoon of the 23rd October. The Rosslare Harbour life-boat continued to search for other possible survivors without success and finally reached her station at 9.30 in the evening. The Kilmore life-boat put out once more, and in conjunction with the Arklow life-boat Inbhear Mor, one of the 40-feet Watson type, carried out a search for survivors for some seven hours during the afternoon and evening.

The dead body of the deck-hand who had put off in the rubber dinghy was finally picked up by helicopter near the Welsh coast..