Leap overboard TORQUAY POLICE informed Brixham Coastguard at 1537 on October 5, 1973, that a girl was in the water off Meadfoot Beach and asked for the help of the ILB.

The message was passed to Torbay deputy launching authority, the maroons were fired at 1540 and the ILB slipped her moorings ten minutes later manned by Coxswain Kenneth Gibbs and Station Mechanic Barry Pike.

The wind was south south east force 7 and the tide was in the third hour of ebb. Visibility was good and the weather fine, but the wind was steadily freshening and the ILB encountered rough seas by the time she was half way across the bay.

A radio conversation with Brixham Coastguard on the way over had given the ILB crew the distinct impression that there was every hope of saving the girl. It was extremely frustrating for them, therefore, when they reached the Meadfoot Beach area (within eight minutes) to find that sea conditions prevented the ILB from being taken close inshore where the casualty was thought to be. Very large waves were now breaking among masses of loose seaweed, and the bottom at that point is treacherously rocky; the 8' breaking waves would have smashed the boat on to the rocks immediately. As it was, Coxswain Gibbs needed all his skill to hold the boat into the breakers just on the edge of the minimum depth to avoid the rocks as the ILB began her search.

A number of people had gathered along the top of the sea wall, at the foot of which was a policeman directing the boat to the approximate position of the casualty.

Suddenly, as the coxswain used his engines to negotiate an exceptionally large sea, Motor Mechanic Pike, standin the stern and looking aft towards the beach, saw the body of a woman appear in the trough. She was just out of reach and, without a moment's hesitation or thought for his own safety, he leaped overboard. The coxswain saw this with horror as he glanced quickly over his shoulder; he feared he might not be able to prevent the next wave from hurling the boat back on top of Barry Pike and the casualty.

Barry Pike almost succeeded in getting hold of the woman, but, though he swam as hard as he could with the encumbrance of his full clothing and lifejacket, he was slowly overcome by the waves breaking over him and the entangling seaweed. As he was at last thrown on to the shore and then dragged out again by the undertow, the policeman managed to grab him and pull him clear of the pounding surf. The constable reported that, even at this stage, Barry Pike was already in an overcome condition, having taken in much sea water.

He would not rest longer than was essential to regain his breath, however,insisting on going back into the water to try to bring the woman ashore. She was now floating face down about 10 yards off the beach, with the ILB being held head-to-sea just beyond her.

The beach is steep, and so Barry Pike was soon out of his depth and again struggling against the huge breakers and the dense seaweed. Once more he lost the battle and was driven back to the beach.

Three or four times Barry Pike threw himself back into the sea, in a steadily weakening condition, before he finally managed to grasp and hold on to the woman. Fortunately, before he went into the water the last time, the policeman had secured a line to him, otherwise it is probable that he himself would have succumbed before he could have got back to shore.

As it was, rescuer and victim were hauled ashore together and the exhausted Barry Pike collapsed beside the body of the woman on the ramp by the sea wall. He was barely conscious and recalls opening his eyes to see the silver braid of a superintendent of police leaning over him and anxiously enquiring whether he was all right. Then he learned that the woman had been found to have a severe head injury and had, in fact, been dead from the beginning.

For this service a silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Motor Mechanic Barry Pike and the thanks of the institution inscribed on vellum to Coxswain Kenneth Gibbs..