A SERVICE which will be recorded on the station board with the curt statement "Stood by vessel" was recently carried out in such exceptionally difficult conditions that it has led to the award of a silver medal to the Torbay coxswain, Harold Coyde, and a bronze fourth-service clasp to the Torbay mechanic, Richard Harris.

The honorary secretary of the Torbay station, Mr. F. W. H. Park, first learnt there was a vessel in distress from the Brixham coastguard at 2.26 a.m. on 22nd December, 1964. The vessel was reported to be a Danish coaster at anchor in the bay. The coastguard tried unsuccessfully to contact her by land and had sent the coastguard volunteer in charge at Paignton down to the beach to investigate.

Some 20 minutes later Mr. Park was told by the police that a telephone call had been received from a sister at the Headlands Convalescent Home stating that a trawler was drifting towards the beach. Mr. Park decided to await full details from the coastguard.

AGROUND NEAR TORQUAY At 3 a.m. he learnt from the coastguard that Niton radio had received a message from the Danish motor vessel North-wind that she had dragged her anchor and was aground about 300 yards south of Torquay and needed the help of a tug. At 3.19 the life-boat Princess Alexandra of Kent, which is one of the 52-foot Barnett type, slipped her moorings.

It was low water. There was a gale blowing from east by north with a south-easterly swell and a heavy confused sea. Visibility was moderate.

The life-boat approached the casualty at 3.45 and found her aground in heavy broken water on a small beach between two outcrops of rock under the Hollicombe Gas Works.

CREW WERE LEAVING Coxswain Coyde sent up parachute flares, and in the light of these the Danish vessel was seen to be bow on to the beach with the wind and the sea astern. Radio contact was established with her, and the coxswain learnt that the coastguard had rigged life-saving apparatus gear and that the crew, who were in no immediate danger, were being taken off. Coxswain Coyde decided to stand by just clear of the breakers.

At 4.27 the Northwind passed a message to the life-boat asking that the life-saving apparatus team should be told that the hawser had parted and the crew were trying to repair it.

Eight minutes later there was a second message asking the life-boat to come alongside and take the crew off. Coxswain Coyde asked how much water there was alongside and was told that there was only about five feet.

With only this depth of water and with heavy breaking seas, at times 20 feet in height, the coxswain decided to anchor and veer down on the motor vessel. The first attempt to anchor was unsuccessful, and while he was manoeuvring for a second attempt Coxswain Coyde was told that the crew had now been taken off by the lifesaving apparatus team but that the captain and chief officer were remaining on board.

EXTREMELY DIFFICULT Conditions became worse, and as the life-boat veered down she touched the sandy bottom several times. Coxswain Coyde therefore decided to shorten cable, ride to his anchor and rig a breeches buoy. Mechanic Harris came on deck to fire the rocket gun and clear the winch under extremely difficult conditions.

In the meantime the hawser from the life-saving apparatus had been cleared, for it had not in fact been carried away and the captain and chief officer were taken ashore by the coastguard team.

At 6.30, when confirmation was received on board the life-boat that everyone on board the Nortkiuind had been rescued, the anchor was weighed and lashed over the bow. The life-boat reached the outer harbour at 7.20 and returned to her moorings a quarter of an hour later.

In his report on the service, the District Inspector described it as "a copy book breeches buoy service performed in violent breaking seas at night".

FOURTH BRONZE MEDAL This is the fourth occasion on which Mechanic Richard Harris has been awarded a bronze medal. The services for which he was awarded his earlier medals were in 1939, when seven people were rescued from the schooner Henrietta; in 1943, when 19 men were rescued from the tug Empire Alfred and another boat; and in 1959 when one man was rescued from a lighter which had broken adrift from a Dutch tug.

The thanks of the R.N.L.I. inscribed on vellum have been accorded to the other members of the crew: Second Coxswain John D. Stone, Bowman Albert F. Janssens, Assistant Mechanic Owen Macinally, Anthony J. Rae, George Dyer, Martin Payne, Ernest Cudd, Alistair D. Mackay, and Francis Janssens..