Two brothers who manned the Exmouth inshore rescue boat and who were washed overboard in an attempted rescue, have each been accorded the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum. They are Mr. Peter Rowsell, the helmsman, and Mr. Brian Rowsell.

Mr. C. E. Chown, the honorary secretary of the Exmouth station, learnt from the police at 3.35 p.m. on 2gth May, 1966, that some bathers were in difficulty off Dawlish Warren. They were about two miles south west of Exmouth. He decided to launch the Exmouth IRB.

Brian and Peter Rowsell immediately made for the boathouse. As it was a bank holiday there were a large number of visitors on the promenade, but the two men reached the boathouse in seven or eight minutes, and within 10 minutes of the alarm the IRB was on her way.

During the morning there had been an easterly wind gusting to gale force, but by the time the boat was launched the wind had dropped to between force 4 and force 5 and had veered to the east south east. There was still a difficult swell. Visibility was good, and it was only half an hour after high water with a neap tide. This allowed the IRB to make directly for the swimmers through the Western way and inshore of the Monster sand.

When the boat left the shelter of the Monster sand she met a heavy swell,, which was breaking in places. A large sea suddenly struck the IRB on her port side and stood her up on her starboard sponson. The two crew members were both thrown into the water.

They managed to regain the boat and to restart the engine, and they reached the swimmers in less than 10 minutes after launching.

Peter Rowsell put the engine in neutral and the two brothers manoeuvred the IRB alongside the swimmers by the use of oars.

They took three people aboard. One appeared to be in very bad shape, and they decided to land the three rescued people at once rather than attempt artificial respiration in the confined area of the IRB. The swimmers were landed and attended to on shore, and one was admitted to hospital.

THE SECOND ATTEMPT While the IRB was on the beach it was learnt that one swimmer was still missing. The Rowsell brothers therefore launched again through the surf to search for the missing man. Again the IRB was struck by a heavy sea and Brian Rowsell was thrown out. His brother helped him aboard and they carried on with the search.

The Exmouth life-boat was launched at 5.25 and an R.A.F. helicopter from Chivenor also joined in the search, but the swimmer was not found.

Once the Exmouth life-boat had reached the scene the Rowsell brothers were relieved by another crew of two. The IRB crew was changed twice more before the search was finally called off. The life-boat and the IRB reached their stations about 9 o'clock..