YOUNG PAIR RESCUE BOYS AT ABOUT 5.30 p.m. on 29th May, 1972, three young children were playing on the outer pier of North Sunderland harbour. The wind was westerly force 4-5 with a long heavy swell coming in from a north-easterly direction. This swell was running past the 'rock ends' and hitting the pier, breaking over it. A particularly heavy swell broke over the pier and the weight of water swept one boy from the pier into the harbour.

Another of the boys climbed down a ladder on the harbour wall and tried to reach the boy in the water with his anorak, which he had taken off. A further heavy swell broke over the pier and the second boy was swept into the water. Both boys were unable to swim but their anoraks provided some buoyancy.

Adam Hall and Aidan Smith were playing in their small 9-foot fibreglass dinghy equipped with a 2 h.p. outboard engine close to the shore inside the harbour. Mr. Stuart Hall, the father of Adam Hall, had seen the boys swept into the sea some way off. He ran down to the point where his son and friend were playing and sent them to the rescue. The distance by water is relatively short, but it would be some considerable distance by land, including rough boulder strewn ground.

With the aid of the outboard engine, Adam Hall and Aidan Smith soon had their boat across the harbour, and with some difficulty, succeeded in dragging the two boys on board.

Meantime, a further sea broke over the harbour wall and partially swamped the boat and rendered the outboard inoperable. The boat was rowed back to the shore and the casualties landed; luckily they were not badly affected by the ordeal.

The names of the boys who were rescued were J. Bainton and Richard Brown. They were thought to be about 12 years old, and they were on a bus trip from Durham.

Adam Hall and Aidan Smith have been awarded inscribed wrist watches for their bravery by the R.N.L.I..