Anglers in danger HAVING BEEN informed by the Seaham Coastguard, Co. Durham, at 1632 on Sunday, November 11, 1973, that a number of anglers had been cut off on the drum head at the end of the north pier of the harbour, and that they were in danger of being swept off, the honorary secretary of the Seaham station assembled the crew, and himself went to the boathouse with Coxswain Arthur Farrington and Motor Mechanic Malcolm Maconochie to view the situation. In the past anglers have several times been cut off on the drumhead, which is higher than the pier itself, but were in fact perfectly safe as long as they remained where they were.

Also, with a falling tide, the danger should have been decreasing.

However, on arrival at the bouthousc, it could be seen that the pier and occasionally the drum head itself were being swept by heavy water; the situation appeared to be worsening and the anglers would soon be in an untenable position.

Maroons were fired at 1650. In view of the real urgency that had developed and the short distance involved. The Will and Fanny Kirhy, a 37' Oakley lifeboat, set off at 1655 with a crew of four.

It was I J hours after high water. The wind was northerly force 5 w i t h a rough sea outside the harbour and a very heavy swell which was breaking at the harbour entrance. A very heavy run of sea inside the outer harbour was sweeping round the pier head, resulting in a confused sea with a 5' rise and fall alongside the pier.

Coxswain Farrington took the lifeboat into the corner formed where the drum head joins the main pier, where there was a chance of holding her in position to effect a rescue. Although the anglers were in a relatively safer position on the drum head, it being higher than the main pier, any rescue attempt from there would have resulted in serious risk of injury and severe damage to the boat.

Despite frequently being thrown clear by the surge of the confused sea and swell, with skilful seamanship and boat handling Coxswain Farrington succeeded in taking the boat into the corner.

As the lifeboat was brought alongside, rising and falling on the swell, the anglers were called to come off the drum head and jump into the boat two or three at a time. Sound judgement was required on the part of the coxswain to assess the effect of sea and swell as well as to handle the boat. Had any mistake been made in his judgement, some ofthe anglers would doubtless have been swept into the sea or fallen heavily into the boat.

Seas continued to sweep the pier and, as an attempt was made to take off the fourth group of men, a huge sea must have broken against the outside of the pier and right over it. A considerable weight of heavy water crashed down on to the lifeboat, its effect magnified as she was at that moment just rising on the swell. The boat was completely engulfed and the spray canopy gave way at the bend in the tubular framework, crashing down on to the coxswain at the wheel. He fell clear of the wheel and in under the canopy but struck his head, injuring his forehead. He immediately resumed control of the boat and repeated the rescue operation until all 18 anglers were aboard.

One of the anglers, at first over-eager to be rescued, had then hesitated, sitting on the edge of the pier wall, and was washed off into the sea. He fell between the lifeboat and the pier and, but for the prompt action of Crew Member Ronald Leng who grabbed the man in the water and held him until help came to pull him on board, would almost certainly have been crushed.

By 1730 the rescue had been completed and Coxswain Farrington landed the survivors at North Dock. Because of adverse slipway conditions, the lifeboat was then taken to Sunderland for a safe berth until the weather moderated.

When she arrived, at 1910, Coxswain Farrington went to Sunderland to have his head injury attended to. It required six stitches. He was also complaining of a pain in his wrist and it later was found that he had broken his wrist at the same time as he had sustained the head injury.

For this service a bronze medal for gallantry has been accorded to Coxswain Arthur Farrington. Medal service certificates were presented to Motor Mechanic Malcolm Maconochie and Crew Members Ronald Leng and Maurice Thornton..