Trawler Snatch WHIN the Longhope, Orkney, lifeboat station was informed at 11.54 p.m. on February 9 that the trawler Ross Tern was ashore on Troma Island and was breaking up, the lifeboat crew mustered in good time.

As the lifeboat prepared to launch.

Coxswain John Leslie was informed that the casualty, contrary to first information, was in fact ashore on the Tarf Tail, Swona Island, and that six men were adrift in a liferaft and five men remained aboard. The vessel was in imminent danger of breaking up.

At 12.17 a.m. on February 10 The David and Elizabeth King and E.B.

slipped her moorings at Longhope pier and went at full speed to the assistance of the casualty. Wind was west force 3 and the sea was smooth in the Hope.

Visibility at this time was good although there had been frequent snow showers.

Out in the Pentland Firth at 12.47 the lifeboat requested the casualty to put up a flare. It confirmed the position of the casualty as being on the Tarf Tail.

On board the casualty, three men had launched a liferaft, but this had broached and thrown all three into the sea. Four other men launched another raft and jumped in. They succeeded in pulling two of the men from the water while the third managed to regain the comparative safety of the wreck.The confused sea conditions alongside the casualty now threatened to capsize the second raft with the six men aboard and they therefore cast themselves adrift. Strongly helped by the full flood tide, they were soon drifting well clear and out of sight of the trawler. By 12.24 this raft was reported as lost to view by the casualty.

It was realised that there was a possibility of an extended search for the raft and a request was made for aircraft assistance as well as Wick lifeboat.

At 1 o'clock the Longhope lifeboat was abeam of the west end of Swona.

There was a moderate westerly swell running, the wind had veered to north west and had freshened to fores 4. On the flood tide there is a marked eddy to the east of Swona. The edge of this eddy runs about south east from Tarf Tail and on this line a very confused sea is produced.

A faint flicker of light was sighted to the south east of Tarf Tail. Coxswain Leslie ordered a parachute flare to be fired, and in its light the canopy of the liferaft was identified about } mile off to the south east and on the edge of the eddy. Coxswain Leslie brought the lifeboat alongside the liferaft, which was bouncing about dangerously. Great care was needed at this point as the lifeboat was rolling heavily with her rails under at times. With excellent team work the raft was held steady while the six survivors were taken aboard. This was reported as being accomplished at 1.15. Because of the conditions and the difficulty and time loss that would have resulted in recovering the raft, she was cast adrift, and Coxswain Leslie now turned his attention to the trawler.

In the light of further parachute flares it was seen that the casualty was hardaground forward, lying about north north west and listing very heavily to starboard. The remaining five survivors were seen clinging to the superstructure.

It appeared that the casualty was aground on Little Windy Skerry. Rocks were visible on both quarters of the casualty and it was clear that the lifeboat could not possibly go in alongside. The swell and canfuscd sea was producing a rise and fall of some 10 feet.

Illuminating the area with parachute flares and using the searchlight, Coxswain Leslie headed the lifeboat in to bring his bow against the transom of the stricken vessel. In the restricted channel great care was needed. Two lines of rocks were clearly visible to port and starboard of the casualty and any error of judgement would have complicated further the operation.

All the lifeboat crew were on deck, it being obvious that there would be little time available to take off the remaining five men. The risk of the trawler slipping off or capsizing completely was ever present.

During the operation, when the survivors were being snatched from the wreck, the effect of the wind, sea and tide was swinging the stern of the lifeboat towards the east and the reef visible on that side. A sea struck the stern of the lifeboat and swung her dangerously close to these rocks when only one survivor remained aboard the wreck. He was grabbed bodily and dragged aboard the lifeboat as Coxswain Leslie came astern to try to straighten up the lifeboat, and avoid fetching up on the rocks himself.

At 1.21 the Longhope lifeboat reported that all survivors were accounted for.

It was decided to land the survivors at St Margaret's Hope where a doctor had been requested to meet the lifeboat to attend to three of the survivors who were suffering from exposure and one who had hurt his ankle during the rescue operation.

Heavy snow showers severely hampered navigation from Swona to St Margaret's Hope but the survivors were landed there at 2.30. This poor visibility continued and the lifeboat remained at the Hope until 4 o'clock, arriving back at Longhope at 5.15.For this service, Coxswain Leslie was awarded the bronze medal of the Institution for gallantry. Medal service certificates were presented to Acting Second Coxswain Billy Budge, Motor Mechanic Ian McFadyen, Assistant Mechanic Jimmy Swanson and crew members John Budge and Ian Williamson..