ON the evening of 20th January last year the Danish motor fishing vessel Opal sailed from Buckle and set a course for the Fladden fishing grounds. At about 10.30 p.m. it was discovered that the engine room was flooding. Both main bilge and auxiliary pumps were found to be inoperative.

The skipper of the Opal reported his position and condition to Skagen radio in Denmark at about 5 a.m. on 21st January and asked if assistance could be obtained from other Danish vessels in the vicinity. He did not make a specific request for assistance, nor did he then consider that his situation and circumstances were perilous.

Wick radio received a message from Skagen radio that the Opal was taking in water and needed assistance with pumping. Skagen radio enquired whether anything could be arranged.

Later, at 5.7 a.m., Skagen radio informed Wick radio that the Opal was in no immediate danger of sinking. Wick radio then informed Wick Coastguard of the messages received from Skagen radio and, in particular, that pumping assistance was needed. Later, Skagen radio told Wick radio that the flooding had increased, that a Danish helicopter on standby could, if necessary, be at the Opal's position in about four hours, and inquired if there was any information from the Coastguard.

Wick radio informed Wick Coastguard who in turn relayed the message to Peterhead Coastguard.

The latter contacted the Peterhead honorary secretary of the R.N.L.I., Mr. W. A. P. Cormack, and was told that, though no pump was available, the life-boat would be launched if needed for life saving. Peterhead Coastguard contacted Fraserburgh Coastguard who then told the acting honorary secretary (Captain J. Carter was ill) about the casualty, the language difficulty, the need for a pump and prompt assistance.

The acting honorary secretary was in fact the coxswain of the Fraserburgh life-boat, the late Mr. John C. Stephen, and he replied that he would try to obtain a pump and launch. He also telephoned the mechanic, Frederick Kirkness, and the assistant mechanic, John Jackson Buchan. The latter accompanied the coxswain to the life-boat which was lying afloat in the south basin because alterations to the boathouse were then in progress.

At 6 a.m. the coxswain fired maroons and the crew assembled. Not unexpectedly, it had proved impossible to obtain a pump, and 30 minutes later the Fraserburgh life-boat The Duchess of Kent cast off, picking up James Slessor Buchan on her way out from the main harbour. At 6.38 a.m. she reported to the Fraserburgh Coastguard on VHF that she was launched and under way to the casualty. The wind at Fraserburgh was then south south east, Force 6 to 7.

While the life-boat was preparing to leave at 6.8 a.m. Skagen radio told Wick radio that the Opal was unable to use her main engine and the water in the engine room was still rising.

Two minutes later Skagen radio reported that the situation now seemed to be critical. At 6.32 a.m. Wick radio sent out a Mayday relay signal that the Opal was in need of immediate assistance and repeated the signal thereafter.

At 8.39 a.m. the life-boat gave her estimated time of arrival at the casualty as 11 a.m., transmitting to Wick radio on 2,182 kilocycles since her VHF set had ceased to be effective soon after leaving Fraserburgh. At 8.48 a.m. the Russian vessel Victor Kingisepp reported that the Opal was 12 miles distant by her radar.

At 8.59 a.m. the life-boat gave her position as 22 miles from Fraserburgh. At 9.17 a.m. Skagen radio reported that a Russian ship was alongside the Opal, while at 9.30 a.m. the Victor Kingisepp stated that she would reach the Opal in 20 minutes.

At 10.6 a.m. the Victor Kingisepp reported that she was near the casualty but that two Russian vessels and two smaller, unidentified, vessels were standing by the Opal. This had been reported by a Shackleton aircraft to Wick radio at 9.50 a.m. At 10.19 a.m. Wick radio transmitted another Mayday relay signal reporting that the Russian vessels were alongside the Opal and attempting to take her in tow. No signal was transmitted directly to the life-boat giving this information or the information received earlier that a helicopter had removed one of the crew from the Opal leaving three others on board.

At about 10.30 a.m. Wick radio passed a message to Peterhead Coastguard that a Russian vessel was taking the Opal in tow with other Russian vessels escorting. Again this information was not relayed direct to the lifeboat.

At 10.55 a.m. the life-boat gave her position as 36 miles north east by east of Fraserburgh and stated that a large vessel was visible ahead. This was almost certainly the Sarma.

At 11 a.m. she reported she was approaching the Opal, adding 10 minutes later that the latter was under tow by a Russian trawler on a courseheading into the wind. This was the last message received from the life-boat. At this time the wind's strength was force 8 to 9 south south east. The Opal was being towed by the Russian trawler Jwa with other vessels in the vicinity. The waves were averaging about 15 or 16 feet in height with occasional waves of twice that height. The Opal was being towed roughly head on to wind, i.e. on a south south east course at a speed of about two to three knots.

In these circumstances the life-boat approached the Opal from the west, altered course to starboard and reduced speed until she was on the Opal's port beam and on a parallel course. The coxswain was heard by Mr.

Jackson Buchan to say that he would go ahead of the Opal in order to read the name or number of the towing vessel. The evidence appears to indicate that he either had increased speed or was increasing speed when the life-boat was struck by a very large breaking wave on her port bow and was overwhelmed by that wave.

It appears that the bow was lifted high into the air and the vessel capsized bow over stern with some tranverse inclination to starboard. She lay capsized with her starboard side visible to those aboard the Opal and the Sarma.

The nature of the capsize as described by Mr. Jackson Buchan, the sole survivor, is at variance with the descriptions of eye witnesses, notably two members of the Opal's crew and crew members of the accompanying Russian ships.

Photographs taken from the Sarma appear to corroborate the descriptions given by these eye witnesses. But in the violent motions of the capsize Mr. Buchan was not ideally placed for observation of all that occurred.

The Russian trawler Jwa continued on her course with the Opal in tow while the life-boat floated bottom upwards. The sole survivor swam to, and contrived to scramble aboard, the capsized life-boat. After about 20 minutes he was picked up by one of the Russian trawlers, and despite his ordeal maintained liaison between the rescuing vessels and the shore.

Simultaneously the Victor Kingisepp approached the scene and her crew made strenuous efforts, at considerable personal risk, to right the life-boat.

The life-boat was eventually righted at 2.31 p.m. but the four members of the crew trapped inside were dead. A fifth member was not found.

The Victor Kingisepp took the upturned lifeboat in tow and made for Buckie. Next day the bodies were transferred to the Buckie life-boat.

The Duchess of Kent was handed over to the Buckie life-boat and towed into Buckie harbour at about 5 p.m. on 22nd January.

In addition to the coxswain, the other Fraserburgh crew members who lost their lives were: Motor Mechanic Frederick A. Kirkness and crew members William Hadden, James R. S. Buchan and James Buchan. Mr. Kirkness's body was never found.

THE FIRST LONGHOPE SERVICE SINCE NIGHT OF TRAGEDY THE Longhope, Orkney, life-boat Hilton Briggs, which was sent to the re-opened station following the disaster on 17th March, 1969, in which the entire life-boat crew lost their lives, made her first service from there on 23rd June last year. It was to take a sick man to Kirkwall for urgent hospital treatment. The Hilton Briggs— a 52-foot Barnett life-boat—set out at 11.10 p.m. and took the patient to Scapa pier where an ambulance was waiting, returning to Longhope in the early hours of the following morning.

Life-boat 70-002 at Scapa/Kirkwall was told at 12.19 p.m. on l l t h July that a flat bottomed dinghy was missing from Weyland bay. It was thought that a Norwegian seaman was on board.

The IRB carried aboard the life-boat Grace Paterson Ritchie was transported two and a half miles overland by lorry from Scapa to Kirkwall and launched at 1.16 in a fresh west south westerly wind with a moderate sea. The tide was flooding.

At 1.59 the IRB found the dinghy ashore at Shapinsay. Search was then made in the Helliar Holm area and across the bay as far as Stromberry.

Nothing was found. She returned to Kirkwall at 3.33 and was taken back to Scapa by road. At 4.7 it was learnt that the missing seaman had been found by the police at Stromness.

When it was learnt that a man had fallen over the cliffs at Sarclet Head on 2nd July, the Wick, Caithness, life-boat Sir Godfrey Baring was launched at 10 p.m.

On reaching Sarclet Head the body of the man could be seen in the water at the foot of the cliff but approach was impossible from the sea owing to rocks and shoals. A skin diver, who was among those watching from the cliff top, recovered the man's body with the aid of ropes from the life-boat.

No. 2 Life-boat Area (Southern Scotland, North West England and Isle of Man) EX-LIFE-BOAT SUMMONS LIFE-BOAT AN old ex-R.N.L.I, pulling and sailing life-boat now named West Wind caused the Barrow, Lancashire, life-boat Herbert Leigh, which is a 46-foot 9-inch Watson type, to turn out for her on 8th June. Apparently she broke down about20 miles north of the Lightning Knoll buoy.

When the Barrow life-boat approached the West Wind at 2.45 a.m., she found that the casualty was carrying three people. A line was secured to the casualty and she was towed back to Barrow. The crew of the ex-life-boat presented the Herbert Leigh's crew with £ 10—which was subsequently donated to R.N.L.I, branch funds.

At 6.15 p.m. on 4th June, 1970, a member of the crew of the Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, IRB saw a sailing dinghy with one man on board in difficulties three quarters of a mile off shore. The IRB was launched at 6.20.

There was a fresh easterly breeze with a moderate sea. It was low water. The man who was in an exhausted condition was taken on board the IRB and landed at the IRB station where first aid was rendered by the crew. He was subsequently conveyed by the police to the Victoria Infirmary. The IRB then recovered and beached the dinghy, returning to her station at 7.30.

No. 3 Life-boat Area (North East England) BRIDLINGTON'S BUSY DAY ON 12th July the Bridlington, Yorkshire, life-boat William Henry and Mary King—she is a 37-foot Oakley—and the local inshore rescue boat had a busy day.

First of all a small dinghy was reported in trouble and the IRB went out at 12.4 p.m. in a fresh west south westerly wind with a choppy sea. At the same time the William Henry and Mary King was launched and conducted a box search in conjunction with the IRB and a helicopter.

At 12.17 the IRB found fittings from the missing dinghy. The passenger vessel Yorkshire Belle reported that she had picked up one of the four men aboard the dinghy. Two others were rescued by a speed boat.

Then, at 12.34, the life-boat came up with the fishing boat Corsair whose engine had failed.

She had three men aboard. The life-boat took her in tow and the search was resumed. Finally, at 1.30, the helicopter directed the life-boat to the missing dinghy. She was submerged about ten feet below water. The dinghy was recovered by means of a grapnel line and taken aboard the life-boat.

At 2.50 p.m., in response to a further report, the IRB went to the aid of a hired rowing boat which was being blown out to sea. The rowing boat was towed in.

A few minutes later both the life-boat and the IRB were directed to a man who was adrift on a lilo to the seaward of the north pier. The man, however, declined assistance but both boats stood by until he reached the beach safely.

To round off the day's calls the life-boat was asked at 3.5 to search for the folk boat Alba with three people aboard which was overdue at Bridlington. Forty minutes later a helicopter, which was also searching, reported the Alba four miles south east of Bridlington. Half an hour later the life-boat reached her. She was attempting to beat to windward using her jib only. A tow brought her safely to the harbour entrance.

No. 4 Life-boat Area (Eastern England) RUNAWAY SPEEDBOAT THE Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, inshore rescue boat had an unusual service on l l th August when 'the Coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a speedboat was going round in circles' about one and a half miles east of the station. It was thought at first that there was an unconscious man on board.

While making for the speedboat the IRB came up with the pleasure boat Viking Saga with about 60 people on board. The pleasure boat had picked up the speedboat's pilot who, it was learnt, had fallen into the water while clambering aboard from a rowing boat. In falling he had apparently put the speedboat in gear, to the grave peril of the craft and bathers in the vicinity.

He was taken on board the IRB from the pleasure boat and the chase of the speedboat started. Two factors contributed particularly to the difficulties involved: first, the fact that the speedboat was used for towing water skiers and the drag lines were trailing in the water, and, secondly, the speedboat was powered by a 40 h.p. Evinrude engine, the equivalent to the IRB's engine! Twice the IRB crew attempted to return the man to the boat but on each occasion he fell into the sea and had to be picked up again.

Twice the IRB rammed the speedboat in order to deflect her in her course when she appeared likely to crash into the pier. Finally a boathook was borrowed from a fishing boat and by skilful manoeuvring at 20 m.p.h. the gear lever was knocked out of position and the man was, at last, put on board.

When a catamaran capsized on 15th July the Margate, Kent, life-boat North Foreland (Civil Service No. 11) went out in a north westerly gale with a very rough sea.

At about 11.30 a.m. the Trinity House cutter Penlee reported that she had three survivors from the catamaran—a man, his wife and a baby girl. A fourth member of the party, a baby boy,was still missing. The cutter and the life-boat met and the woman, who appeared to be dead, was transferred to the life-boat with difficulty.

Artificial respiration was applied continuously to the woman throughout the life-boat's passage back to Ramsgate but she was found to be dead on arrival.

Earlier an R.A.F. helicopter had approached the life-boat, with the intention of taking the woman, but sea conditions made her transfer impracticable. The helicopter then went off and found the missing boy who, however, did not recover.

A gift of £5 was made by the catamaran's owner to the coxswain and crew of the lifeboat.

A donation of £10 was also made to the Institution's funds.

No. 5 Life-boat Area (South East England) CRYSTAL CLEAR A curious story emerged when the motor cruiser Ebb Tide of Chiswick lost oil and needed assistance on 9th June. The Dover, Kent, life-boat Faithful Forester—she is one of six 44-foot steel life-boats in service—went out at 6.37 p.m. She found the casualty at 8.46 and took her in tow to Dover.

The original distress call was picked up by a Securicor van on normal operations in Kent and then passed on to the Coastguard. All subsequent communications with the Ebb Tide were passed via Securicor at Ashford. The owner of the yacht later reported that 'his radio had been serviced by the contractors who maintain the Securicor equipment and he assumed that a crystal working on the frequency used by them had been fitted to his set in error'.

Bembridge, Isle of Wight, inshore rescue boat on 19th August went to the aid of a dinghy in difficulties off Whitecliffe point.

The IRB was launched at 1.50 p.m. in a moderate south westerly wind with a rough sea.

She came up with the dinghy one mile south of Culver cliff. There were two boys on board, one baling out and the other attempting to row against the strong flood tide.

Difficulties were experienced in transferring the boys to the IRB in the heavy surf at the foot of the cliff and the transfer was completed only as a result of the efforts of the helmsman of the IRB in going over the side to prevent the waterlogged dinghy from being dashed against the rocks.

When on 20th June the Bermuda rigged yacht Keg with one man aboard ran aground about half a mile south west of the NE Victory wreck on the Goodwin Sands, the Walmer, Kent, lifeboat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 32}—she is a 42-foot beach type—went to her aid with the local inshore rescue boat.

At 7.55 p.m. the rescue boats came up with the yacht Keg high and dry some eight feet above the surrounding sea. The IRB ferried the coxswain of the life-boat to the sands and he waded to the boat and boarded her. Assisted by the IRB, the yacht's anchor was run out to hold her as the tide made. With the IRB then sounding for a channel to open water, the lifeboat nosed her way to the boat in very shallow water. The second coxswain and a life-boat crew member were put aboard, and the yacht was refloated at about 10 o'clock.

No. 6 Life-boat Area (South West England and Channel Islands) LIFE-BOAT FINDS BODY THE recovery of charred wreckage and other evidence by the St. Helier, Jersey, life-boat Elizabeth Rippon—a 46-foot 9-inch Watson type —pointed to an explosion aboard the French yacht Marie Grillon reported missing on 10th July with four people aboard.

It was at 1.45 p.m. that the life-boat set out to search in the area between Jersey and the Minquier reef. At 10.10 the search was called off in failing light and some time before—at 9.30 p.m.—a French vessel picked up the bodies of the two women who had been aboard the yacht.

At 5.15 a.m. next day the life-boat resumed the search and at 11.22 a.m. the body of one of the missing men was found seven miles south of Jersey. Twenty minutes later the body of the second man was picked up.

When the yacht Dark Horse was seen riding at anchor on 22nd June off the entrance to Portloe harbour, with one man aboard, she was in fact in difficulties.

The Falmouth, Cornwall, life-boat Lilla Manas, Douglas and Will went out to her at 12.10 a.m. next day and found that the yacht's auxiliary engine had broken down. Her anchor was also fouling crab pots and their lines. A line was put aboard and the life-boat held her up into the wind while her owner recovered the yacht's ground tackle.

No. 8 Life-boat Area (North Wales, Lancashire and Cheshire) MAN OVERBOARD ~ RED flares reported at 11.37 p.m. on 24th July led to the Moelfre, Anglesey, life-boat Watkin Williams, which is a 42-foot Watson type, going to the aid of the yacht Nisser of Hoylake seven miles east of Moelfre at 12.40 a.m. next day.The life-boat found the yacht with her engine broken down and sails blown away. There were two men and a woman aboard. When a tow rope was thrown to one of the men he fell overboard but was rescued by his companions.

Eventually a line was secured and on reaching less troubled waters the woman and one of the men were taken aboard the life-boat while two members of the crew of the Watkin Williams transferred to the yacht to assist the owner.

LAUNCHES AND LIVES SAVED BY LIFE-BOATS AND IRBs 1st June, 1970 to 31st August, 1970: Launches 1,328, lives saved 694 THE LIFE-BOAT FLEET (as at 31/8/70) 134 station life-boats 103 inshore rescue boats 1 70-foot steel life-boat on operational trials 1 40-foot G.R.P. life-boat on evaluation trials 3 inshore rescue boats (17-foot Dell Quay Dory) 2 inshore rescue boats (18-foot Hatch) 2 inshore rescue boats (18-foot McLachlan G.R.P.) LIVES RESCUED 92,872 from the Institution's foundation in 1824 to 31st August, 1970.