Tanker aground A MESSAGE came to the Angle (Pembrokeshire) honorary secretary from St Anne's Head Coastguard at 9.8 p.m.

on August 5, 1973, to say that the oil tanker Dona Marika had run aground on Wooltack Point, Lindsway Bay, and required assistance. Maroons were fired and the lifeboat, Richard Vernon and Mary Garforlh of Leeds, which is a 46' Watson boat, was launched at 9.35.

The wind was blowing force 10 from the south south west creating a rough sea and heavy swell. Visibility was about one mile.

The lifeboat covered the short distance down the Haven in 19 minutes, arriving off Dona Marika at 9.54. A few craft were standing off the tanker which, illuminated by her own lights, could be seen to be rolling heavily, with seas breaking over decks and superstructures.

The Coastguard reported that she was carrying high octane spirit and warned against firing rockets. She had dragged from an anchorage in Dale Roads into Lindsway Bay and was aground, her bows pointing west, on Wooltack Point.

Having assessed the situation from a distance, Coxswain Reece Holmes advised the Coastguard that he was going to approach the tanker to get a closer look. The Coastguard requested the lifeboat to close at all costs and take the crew off because there was risk of explosion, and a message was passed from the lifeboat to Dona Marika via the Coastguard to rig a ladder on the port side amidships and have the crew ready to disembark.

An approach was made from a westerly direction and the coxswain managed to put the lifeboat alongside a ladder hanging from the amidships bulwark. The crew mustered by the ladder refused to leave the tanker and beckoned the boat to come in on the lee side. This would have been impossible due to the lack of water. Lindsway Bay was open to the storm force wind making the sea very rough and confused, and a heavy swell was smashing against the ship's side. Water could be seen breaking through the wheelhouse as the tanker rolled heavily.

So as not to alarm his crew Coxswain Holmes switched off the echo sounder when it showed less than one foot in the trough as he kept station alongside.It was thought the lifeboat was rising and falling about 20'.

Altogether the lifeboat made seven approaches alongside the stricken ship, two from the west and five from the east, but on each occasion the crew refused to leave. The coxswain of a Haven Conservancy launch later reported that he thought the lifeboat had foundered because he lost sight of the masthead blue flashing light as the boat rose and fell in the heavy swell alongside the tanker.

Since the crew refused to board the lifeboat the coxswain stood off ready to go in alongside should an attempt be made to abandon ship on the seaward side. It was later requested to set up a breeches buoy without using a rocket line, but the coxswain thought under the circumstances it would have been impracticable.

Four and a half hours after high water, at 4.15 a.m. on August 6, the conditions improved sufficiently to enable a rescue attempt to be made from the shore.

Fifteen minutes later two members of the Coastguard Cliff Rescue Crew were making their way to the stern of the tanker, and the lifeboat and Conservancy launch were requested to illuminate the area with searchlights. The crew started to leave Dona Marika at 5.15 and by 6 o'clock the last man was safely ashore.

The lifeboat returned to station, rehoused and was ready for service at 7 o'clock, having spent nine hours and 25 minutes afloat. The coxswain reported that throughout the service the boat behaved well and all equipment functioned satisfactorily. The only damage was to the belting and bow fender support, and proved to be superficial.

Ingoing alongside the tanker thecoxswain and crew were aware of the degree of danger that existed. Because of the grave risk of explosion the nearby village of St Ishmael's was evacuated. A bronze medal was awarded to Coxswain Holmes and medal service certificates to Second Coxswain G. Edwards, Assistant Motor Mechanic M. Eynon and Crew members T. Stewart, R. Callaghan and W. Watkins..