A special letter of congratulation has been sent to Mechanic William Sliney of Ballycotton and extra monetary awards made to all the members of the Ballycotton crew for an attempted service carried out in exceptionally bad conditions.

On the yth December, 1964, the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Haulbowline informed the Ballycotton honorary secretary, Mr. R. H. Mahony, at 4.25 p.m. that the Danish motor vessel Scantic was foundering 48 miles southsouth- east of the lighthouse on BaUycotton Island.

A strong south-westerly gale was blowing and there was a very rough sea.

There were hailstorms from time to time causing poor visibility. It was about an hour and a half before high water. The Ballycotton life-boat Ethel Mary, which is one of the 52-foot Barnett type, put out at 5 p.m. When she was off Ballycotton Island she shipped a heavy sea, which put the radio-telephone out of action. Mechanic William Sliney set about trying to repair the set in exceptionally difficult working conditions, and it was not until 6| hours later that the repairs were finally effected.

The life-boat then called the Irish Naval Service corvette Cliona and Ilfracombe radio station to ask for information on the position of the casualty. About midnight flares dropped by a Shackleton aircraft were seen, and the life-boat altered course. H.M.S. Relentless, the corvette Cliona and other ships were also searching.

At 2.30 a.m., when the life-boat was near the Danish motor vessel, she received a message from Ilfracombe radio station that the motor vessel's crew had been picked up by the S.S. Arthur Allbright. The life-boat, therefore, made for her station hi a very fierce south-westerly gale. She finally entered Ballycotton harbour at 9 a.m. after being on service for sixteen hours.

After the service Mr. Mahony received a letter from the Irish Department of Transport and Power conveying the Danish Government's sincere appreciation and thanks for the life-boat crew's "very courageous attempt on the night of yth-Sth December, 1964, to save the lives of the crew of the Danish ship M.V.

Scantic"..