AT 11.30 on the morning of the 16th January, 1962, the honorary secretary of the Galway Bay life-boat station, Father Joseph McNamara, was told by the Galway harbour master that the coaster June of Rotterdam was aground on the reefs off Mutton Island near the entrance to Galway docks. The har- bour master had tried to reach the coaster but had had to abandon the attempt because of the conditions.

There was a south-south-westerly gale gusting to storm conditions and a very rough sea. The sky was overcast with rain and hail. It was about an hour and a quarter before high water.

The life-boat crew had some difficulty in boarding the life-boat Mabel Marion Thompson, which is one of the 45-foot 6-inch Watson type, but the life-boat put out from Kilronan at 12.30. She had to cover some twenty-four miles to reach the coaster and found her about 3.45.

Bows on a Rock The coaster was listing about 20 degrees to port. Her bows were on a rock rather more than a cable and a half south-south-west of Mutton Island lighthouse. The depth of water round her stern was only about a fathom and a half, and there was no chance for the life-boat to go alongside. Coxswain Coleman Hernon came to the con- clusion that his best chance of rescuing the crew was by breeches buoy, but the weather began to improve and the master decided not to abandon ship.

The life-boat therefore put into Galway docks.

About seven o'clock in the evening, when the weather had grown worse again, a message was received from the June by radio-telephone that she was holed and was making water fast.

Some of her crew had managed to reach Mutton Island and others were following.

At 7.15 the Galway Bay life-boat put out once again. She took a 12- foot double-ended boat, which had been lent by another Dutch coaster in the harbour, in tow. Two other men put out in the life-boat in addition to the normal crew. They were one of the harbour commission's employees, Mr.

Michael Carrie, whose local knowledge might, it was thought, be helpful. The other was the owner of the June, a Dutchman who could help to translate.

Ousting to Strong Gale The wind was now in the south-west and gusting to strong gale force. The sea was still very rough, and hail and rain squalls had reduced visibility. It was now about an hour and a quarter before low water, and the ebb tide was setting to the southward at about one knot.

The survivors from the coaster were sheltering in the base of the untended lighthouse, and Coxswain Hernon brought the life-boat as close to the lighthouse landing as the depth of water allowed.

The open boat with a line made fast was manned by two members of the crew, Assistant Mechanic Hartley Mullen and Thomas Joyce. They rowed her alongside the landing and six men were taken off. On returning to the life-boat Assistant Mechanic Mullen was replaced by Patrick Quinn, a champion curragh racer, and five unsuccessful attempts were made to reach the landing, but each time the small boat was beaten back. She was twice swamped and had to be baled out.

Final Attempt Successful The next attempt was successful, and the two remaining survivors and the dog were taken aboard the boat. The rescue was completed at 10.15, and the life-boat landed all the survivors at Galway at 10.58. She remained at Galway until the next day, when she returned to Kilronan, arriving at four o'clock in the afternoon.

For this service the bronze medal for gallantry has been awarded to :— Coxswain Coleman Hernon, Assistant Mechanic Hartley Mullen, Crew Mem- ber Thomas Joyce and Crew Member Patrick Quinn.

Medal service certificates have been issued to the other members of the crew: Bowman Stephen McDonagh, Motor Mechanic Michael Dirrane and crew members Martin Conneely, John Gill and Martin O'Donnell..