ILB DAMAGED BY CASUALTY A MESSAGE was received at 7.05 p.m. on 3rd October, 1971, at Mumbles, Glamorganshire, that a man was probably marooned in a boat in Mumbles Bay. While investigating this report, the Coastguard sighted red flares 13 minutes later in a position to the north west of the inshore life-boat station. Owing to the position of the casualty and the fast falling spring tide it was decided to launch the inshore life-boat.

At the inshore life-boat house the launchingconditions were bad. The wind was east by south force 6, with a strong ebb tide running and a very short steep sea. Conditions were overcast with misty rain, and darkness was setting in.

The inshore life-boat was launched at the second attempt at 7.25 p.m. The first attempt failed after the inshore life-boat had been thrown back on to the slipway by the breaking waves. Once the inshore life-boat was away Coxswain Derek Scott, B.E.M., mustered a crew for the life-boat and stood by in the life-boat house in case the inshore life-boat wanted assistance.

The Coastguard mobile unit went to the vicinity of the casualty. At 7.39 p.m. the inshore life-boat came up with the casualty which was a 20-foot cabin cruiser with three men on board.

It had been drifting in the heavy seas and hadmanaged to get its anchor to hold when about 100 yards off the sea wall at West Cross.

Weather conditions at the casualty were similar to those at the launching site, but the sea conditions were made worse by the backwash from the sea wall. The combination of the strong easterly wind with the fast ebb tide running contrary to it, and the backwash from the sea wall, produced a very vicious and unpredictable sea.

The inshore life-boat made two attempts to get alongside the casualty. Although these were successful, the crew of the casualty could not be taken off due to a canvas canopy over the cockpit of the casualty which prevented them from transferring at the side of the boat.

The inshore life-boat was then brought up against the transom of the casualty so that its crew could board over the bow of the inshore life-boat. This manoeuvre was made hazardous as the outboard motor of the casualty was in the tilted position and the propeller and skeg of this engine threatened to puncture the inshore lifeboat.

The crew of the casualty were taken off, but before the ILB could get clear, the bow compartment of the ILB was punctured by the engine of the casualty.

There was no landing place to leeward of the casualty as the beach had not uncovered and the sea was up to the sea wall. The inshore life-boat then attempted to return to her station to windward with the crew trying to maintain the shape of the bow compartment by continuous pumping.

The pumping was having little effect due to the size of the puncture and the bow gradually collapsed. As the crew could not support it, it was dragged under the boat. In this condition the boat flooded and progress could only be made to leeward.

Fortunately the inshore life-boat had made sufficient progress to windward before the bow collapsed for a landing to be made on a small section of beach at the south east end of the seawall. Landing was difficult with the collapsed bow and the surf which was running, but was accomplished successfully at 7.55 p.m. By this time the crew were in an exhausted condition and only had strength to haul the ILB clear of the surf.

When the bow collapsed the radio stopped working. The coxswain of the life-boat was anxious about the fate of the inshore life-boat crew and drove down the shore to find out what was happening. He found the crew and survivors on the beach and, with the help of other crew members and the Coastguard, the ILB was taken back to the boat-house.

The following awards were made by the Committee of Management: the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum to the crew of the inshore life-boat, Alan Jones, Anthony Lewis and Peter Algie..