COXSWAIN William Sheader of Scarborough has been awarded the R.N.L.I.'s silver medal for gallantry for a remarkable service in which he had to take the life-boat in among dangerous outcrops of rock with at times only five feet of water under her. One man was saved from a converted ship's life-boat.

The first report that the converted ship's life-boat Sheena had capsized in South Bay and that her occupants were in the water reached the Scarborough life-boat house at 12.23 p.m. on Sunday, 23rd November, 1969. Largely because of the weather conditions a number of the members of the life-boat crew were in the boat-house at the time, and the maroons were fired immediately to sum- mon other members of the crew and the shore helpers.

The Scarborough life-boat, /. G. Graves of Sheffield, which is one of the 37- foot Oakley type, was launched from her carriage five minutes after the alarm and made for South Bay. A north easterly wind of force 6 was blowing, and the weather was overcast. Very rough, heavy seas were breaking in the bay, and it was two hours after low water springs.

ROCKS AND KELP The life-boat approached the Sheena about four minutes after being launched.

She found her in a very dangerous area, where there were rocky outcrops and heavy kelp growth in shallow water. In the heavy breaking seas and with the knowledge that he had only about five feet of water under the life-boat, Coxswain William Sheader decided to approach the casualty. He was fully aware that had the life-boat capsixed she would have been unable to right herself because there was not enough water. In fact the life-boat was filled several times before a man was spotted in the breaking seas.

Watching the seas carefully the coxswain swung the life-boat round. With great difficulty the crew hauled the survivor aboard just as a heavy sea broke over the life-boat. The boat's keel touched bottom, but Coxswain Sheader worked the engines to bring her dear of the sea. By doing so he probaWy prevented the life-boat from capsizing. The man was hauled aboard thirteen minutes from the time of the alarm and eight minutes from the time of launching the life-boat.

He was in a poor condition, and as nobody else could be seen in the water the coxswain decided to land him. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was carried out by a member of the crew, and the rescued man was put ashore at 12.40. An ambulance had meanwhile been summoned by radio.

SECOND MAN The life-boat then returned to look for a second man who was reported to have been in the water. Once again she had to go into heavy surf, and at 12.56 a second man was found and hauled aboard. Again the life-boat struck bottom, and Coxswain Sheader had to use the full power of his engines to get clear of the kelp, which twice nearly caused the engines to stall. Luckily she came clear just as the sea began to spin her round.

The second man was unconscious and again mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was applied. He was landed at 1.8 p.m. and immediately rushed to hospital by ambulance. Unfortunately he died in hospital shortly afterwards.

The time was now 1.10 and the life-boat put out a third time to search for another man reported missing. A helicopter and skin divers working along the the beach also took part in the search, but the man could not be found.

The sea conditions grew steadily worse and two fishing boats were attempting to enter harbour. The life-boat therefore went to their help. She escorted one of them in and then took the second fishing vessel, whose engine was flooded, in tow to the harbour.

After completing this operation the life-boat returned to search again for the missing man, but by 3.22, when because of a very heavy swell and sea con- ditions she had to work too far off shore to be of any use, the life-boat returned to harbour, arriving at 3.28.

'PERFECT TEAM' The Inspector of Life-boats, Commander L. F. L. Hill, R.D., R.N.R., who investigated this service reported: 'The crew and boat behaved as a perfect team under most hazardous conditions, taking their lives into their own hands...

not once but on three occasions. It proved their faith in their coxswain, W.

Sheader, and in their Oakley class boat.' In addition to the award of the silver medal to Coxswain Sheader the thanks of the R.N.L.I. inscribed on vellum were accorded to the other members of the crew: Second Coxswain Thomas William Rowley, Motor Mechanic Allen Rennard, Assistant Mechanic Cecil James Bean, Crewman Jack Rowley, Crewman George William Plummer, and Emergency Mechanic Robert Swalwell..