Aground on rocks AT 0205 ON SUNDAY, February 13, the honorary secretary of St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, was requested by St Mary's Coastguard to launch to the aid of a French fishing vessel aground on rocks near Bishop Rock Lighthouse. The maroons were fired at 0210 and at 0215.

St Mary's lifeboat, the 46' 9" Watson Guy and Clare Hunter, launched on service with Coxswain Matthew Lethbridge in command.

Wind was south west moderate to fresh, force 4 to 5, and there was a very heavy swell running in from the south west. Visibility was good but it was a dark night. Tide was half ebb running westward at about half a knot.

Coxswain Lethbridge headed south, then between the islands of Annet and St Agnes and then south west again. The Coastguard now informed the lifeboat that lights had been seen near Gorregan Neck and at 0246, when approaching Melledgan, the lifeboat crew detected the smell of diesel oil and saw pieces of polystyrene floating by. At 0250 parachute flares were fired, but there was no sign of the casualty anywhere in Gorregan Neck.

Coxswain Lethbridge, still guided by the smell of diesel, then continued on towards Pednathise Head, the largest of a number of rocks, many uncharted, which lie south west of the Daisy, andat about 0300, when further parachute flares were fired, the casualty was seen among the rocks to the north of Pednathise Head. There appeared to be two or three men aboard and Coxswain Lethbridge immediately altered course northward heading for the only safe passage between Old Bess, a submerged rock, and Pednathise Head. There was a very heavy south-west swell running at about 35 feet and breakers were curling in over Old Bess.

Once through the passage the area around Rosevear Ledges was illuminated with parachute flares, searchlight and Aldis lamp and the casualty was seen to be right in on the base of the rocks immediately east of Pednathise Head.

Coxswain Lethbridge immediately came out southwards through the same tricky passage between Old Bess and Pednathise Head and then, without hesitation, turned north, resolving to go straight in between the even more difficult gap between the rocks on which the bow of the casualty lay and Pednathise Head's north-eastern side. This neck was little wider than the lifeboat's own length. The bow of the casualty was up on the rocks on the lifeboat's starboard hand with her stern submerged.

Heavy swells were breaking over and around both sides of Pednathise Head on the lifeboat's port hand, causing extreme turbulence in the neck where the casualty Enfant de Bretagne, lay.

Coxswain Lethbridge found it .almost impossible to control the lifeboat as she entered the neck and he was forced to go full ahead in order to avoid being swept on to the rocks. At this moment the searchlight failed and only the Aldis lamp on the rocks to starboard gave any guide.

Immediately he emerged on the other side, Coxswain Lethbridge turned to port, around the north of Pednathise Head, between it and Old Bess again, and ordered the anchor to be made ready for letting go astern. He decided to go once more into the neck, this time with an anchor out astern, against which he hoped to put his engines ahead and thus retain enough control of the lifeboat to get a line to the men on the rocks.

By now the searchlight had been restored, and as the lifeboatmen prepared to let the anchor go astern, its beam revealed the remains of the bow of the trawler some 25 feet higher up on the rocks than the last time they had seen it. There was no longer any sign of life aboard.

Coxswain Lethbridge decided that it was now clearly impossible to effect a rescue from the sea, and any survivors left aboard the wreck would be relatively safe at that height up the rock. At 0325 he radioed for a helicopter to search the wreck. There was a lot of wreckage in the water and the lifeboat continued to search under very difficult sea conditions, often having to go uncomfortably close to one of the many rocks in the area.

At 0510 the helicopter arrived in the area and began to search. Communications were difficult as the helicopter's VHF was faulty, but by relaying messages via the Coastguard and Culdrose Operations Room, the pilot was directed to search the rocks where the survivors had last been seen. However, none could be found. The helicopter later recovered one body near Gorregan and the lifeboat recovered a second one south of the Rags at 0707. A relief Sea King had now arrived and the first helicopter winched the body from the lifeboat and took both bodies to the mainland at about 0730.

The search continued over a widening area northward and wreckage was eventually found as far as five milesnorth of the stranding position. The helicopter search was called off soon after 1000 and the lifeboat was recalled by the honorary secretary at 1050. St Mary's lifeboat arrived back at station at 1110 and was rehoused and ready for service at 1135.

For this service a second bar to the silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Matthew Lethbridge, BEM.

The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Second Coxswain Ernest R. Guy, Motor Mechanic William R. Burrow, Assistant Mechanic William H. Lethbridge, and Crew Members George W. Symons, Rodney J. Terry and H. Roy Duncan..