A FRAMED letter of thanks, signed by the Chairman of the Institution, Admiral Sir Wilfrid Woods, G.B.E., K.C.B., D.S.O., has been addressed to Coxswain C. J.

Crockford and crew of the Tenby, Pembrokeshire, life-boat for the part they played on 21st-22nd May, 1969, when a boy fell over a cliff.

At 7.23 p.m. a message was received that a boy had fallen over the cliff at Manorbier, and the maroons were fired at 7.26.

The reserve life-boat Crawford and Constance Conybeare, on temporary duty at the station, slipped her moorings taking a 16-foot punt in tow.

The life-boat arrived at the scene at 8.5 to find the R.A.F. tender from Tenby, together with her inflatable boat, already on the scene, as well as a naval helicopter from R.N.A.S. Brawdy and the coastguard cliff rescue unit.

Neither the helicopter nor the coastguard rescue team could reach the casualty due to the overhang of the cliffs, though a coastguard was lowered down the cliff face in a vain attempt.

The casualty was an 11-year-old boy who se body could be seen under water apparently trapped in a basin-shaped gully between rocks at the base of the cliff. The gully was roughly pear-shaped, the entrance from seaward being about 15 ft in width, but opening out to a width of some 40 ft and having an overall length of about 70 feet.

An attempt to enter the gully was made by the R.A.F. tender's inflatable boat.

This attempt had to be abandoned because of the danger of fouling the propeller in the heavy surge, which was running at the base of the cliffs, and the difficulty of controlling the boat under power in the prevailing conditions.

USED OARS The second coxswain, Joshua Richards, and crew members John John and Michael Crockford then entered the boarding boat and attempted to reach the casualty. The narrow entrance was negotiated under oars with the boat being fended clear of the rocks. Inside the gully there was still a heavy surf running, and while Joshua Richards held the boat in position with the oars, the other two attempted to recover the body using a grappling iron.

After half an hour without success the attempt was abandoned and the board- ing boat returned to the life-boat. Since the body was trapped well under water it was decided to make another attempt when the tide had fallen. The life-boat therefore returned to her station. She reached Manorbier again at 2.30 a.m. on 22nd May, again with the boarding boat in tow.

The same three crew members again manned the boarding boat as they re-entered the gully in the faint twilight. It was found, however, that with the tide dropping the surge had also dropped considerably, and once inside the gully Mr. John went over the side with a line which he secured round the body of the boy. The body was then recovered and the boarding boat returned to the life-boat which reached her station at 6.25..