MV Lovat sinks ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1975, HM Coastguard informed the honorary secretary of Penlee lifeboat at 0637 that MV Lovat had broadcast a mayday call and that her crew were abandoning ship.

The reported position of Lovat was 235°T 24 miles from Lizard Point. The wind was west north west force 8 to 9 gusting 12. It was still dark, sunrise being due at 0750, and there were heavy rain squalls. The tide was in the fourth hour of ebb.

Penlee lifeboat, the 47' Watson class Solomon Browne, launched at 0655. At 0705 she received an amended courseand distance and Coxswain William Richards set course 210°M to allow for estimated set and drift.

On leaving the lee of the land at about 0730 the lifeboat's passage became extremely uncomfortable with rolling in the beam sea and visibility reduced drastically in the frequent squalls. Because of the extreme urgency of the situation, however, Coxswain Richards drove the lifeboat on at full speed the whole way.

At about 0839 the lifeboat heard that, on the scene, the winch wire of a Whirlwind helicopter had parted and her diver was in the water, but that a replacement Sea King helicopter was now airborne from Culdrose.

About 20 minutes later, through a gap in the squalls, the lifeboat sighted the Irish car ferry St Patrick, which had been reported assisting, and almost immediately afterwards a Sea King helicopter was seen hovering over a liferaft.

Coxswain Richards immediately altered course towards the liferaft, passing an upturned ship's lifeboat on the way. The lifeboat came up to weather of the liferaft, lashed it alongside and, while the lifeboat, lying beam on to the seas, rolled violently, the crew managed with great difficulty to haul on board two bodies, one of them that of a youngster of about 16.

HMS Wilton had now assumed charge of the search and rescue operation and asked two helicopters to try and recover five bodies. Vicious seas kept washing the divers away on the ends of theirwinch wires but they managed to recover one body each and the lifeboat recovered the other three. The boat was rolling as much as 60° and the guard rail had to be slipped to allow four of the crew to lift the bodies aboard. This was a particularly hazardous operation for the crew, who nevertheless performed their duties with unfaltering determination.

When, soon after 1100, HMS Wilton informed the lifeboat that all the crew of Lovat had been accounted for and the rescue operation was completed, Coxswain Richards set course for harbour. There had been no abatement in the weather, so, taking account of the safety of his crew, he reduced speed and Solomon Browne finally arrived at Newlyn at 1440.

For this service the Institution's bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain William Richards. Medal service certificates were presented to Second Coxswain Edward Wallis, Acting Mechanic Nigel Brockman, Acting Assistant Mechanic Stephen Madron, Acting Bowman Phillip Wallis, Acting Emergency Mechanic Alan Tregenza and Crew Members Kevin Smith and Barry Torrie..