Two private individuals who put out in a boat from a Cornish village after some people had been washed over the harbour wall have both been accorded the thanks of the R.N.L.I. inscribed on vellum. They are Mr. Terence Sawyer and Mr. Frank Opie.

About 6.45 p.m. on 16th June, 1969, a number of people who had been walking along the breakwater, which forms the west side of Portreath harbour entrance were washed off by a large wave. They fell just outside the entrance of the outer harbour.

A very heavy ground sea was causing the waves to break heavily on the out- side of the breakwater, and from time to time they swept over the harbour wall.

There was also a heavy confused sea in the harbour entrance. A westerly wind from force 3 to 4 was blowing and it was two hours before high water.

LIFE-JACKETS AND LINES Members of the Portreath life saving club had gone into the water to try to help'some of the people in difficulties, although they had no means of bringing them out of the sea except by hauling them up the breakwater. Eight people who took part in this effort have since been awarded the Queen's Commenda- tion for Brave Conduct.

The local coastguard then informed the life-boat station at St. Ives and the St. Agnes inshore rescue boat station of what had happened.

About 7 o'clock Mr. Terence Sawyer, an auxiliary coastguard and a member of the inshore rescue scheme, was driving home with his wife. Seeing a crowd centred on the breakwater he stopped his car and went to investigate. Mr.

Sawyer had a boat moored in the harbour and a small store in which he keeps his gear.

He ran back to the store for his life-jackets and lines, forced the lock, as he did not have his keys on him, and returned to the scene. The life-jackets and lines were thrown into the water, but little use could be made of them.

Mr. Sawyer then decided his best course of action would be to take his boat into the water so that it could be used as a floating platform to support bothcasualties and rescuers. Mr. Frank Opie agreed to put out with him, and the two men manoeuvred the boat under oars out of the inner harbour. The mooring lines were left trailing to serve as possible life-lines and the engine was not used because of the danger of the propeller striking the people in the water.

Sea conditions in the basin were confused, and at the entrance, which is 40 feet wide, there was a rise and fall of some 15 feet. The two men had great difficulty in keeping the boat head to sea, and had they broached to in the harbour entrance their boat would almost certainly have capsized.

The main rescue attempts were taking place outside the outer entrance, where it was impossible to keep the boat head to sea. Mr. Sawyer and Mr.

Opie were therefore forced to return to the inner harbour, which they succeeded in doing with considerable difficulty. Just outside the inner entrance the boat was driven against the harbour wall, but fortunately she was not damaged.