Snatched from rocks A MAYDAY CALL received from the 17' bermudan sloop Calcutta Princess was reported by Trevose Head Coastguard to the honorary secretary of Padstow lifeboat station at 1709 on Sunday July 17, 1977. The yacht, a quarter of a mile south west of Dinas Head, was losing her sails, had a rope around the propeller of her outboard engine and was drifting towards the Head in rough seas. She had a man and a woman onboard, and also a dog. The Coastguard had advised the yacht to try to anchor and had told the Cliff Rescue Team that she might come ashore before the lifeboat could reach her.

James and Catherine Macfarlane, Padstow's 48' 6" Oakley lifeboat, was launched at 1734 with Coxswain Antony Warnock in command. The wind was west south west strong to near gale, force 6 to 7, visibility was about one mile with driving rain, and the tide was in the fourth hour of flood.

The lifeboat rounded Trevose Head and, about 11 minutes after launching, her crew sighted the casualty about 60 yards from the rocks of Dinas Head.

She was lying with bows east south east into the flood tide which sweeps around this northern end of Constantine Bay at 2 to 3 knots. Against the strong westsouth- west wind the stream was creating a heavy confused sea with waves of 15 to 20 feet.

Coxswain Tony Warnock took the lifeboat down the yacht's port side, between the casualty and Dinas Head, and the crew threw a heaving line to the man on board. He appeared exhausted, however, and was not able to pull the tow rope aboard fast enough, so that it became fouled in the lifeboat's starboard screw. The crew now saw that the yacht's anchor was down but it was doubtful whether it would hold.

Second Coxswain Trevor England then secured the free bight of the tow rope to the guardrail forward of the screw and cut the tow rope free from the after bollard, while the lifeboat came round to starboard, bow to bow with the yacht. With Crew Members Chris Hughes and Peter Poole, he took down the slack in the heaving line, which the casualty's owner had secured to a cleat on his deck, while Coxswain Warnock put his remaining engine slow astern, in order to pull the yacht clear of danger as quickly as possible.

About 30 yards had been gained when a large wave struck the yacht, pulling out the cleat to which the heaving line was secured and jamming the little finger of Crew Member Chris Hughes between the heaving line and a guardrail stanchion, severing the top third of his finger. At about the same moment the end of the tow rope came clear of the lifeboat's propeller.

With the yacht drifting clear of Dinas Head but now moving rapidly towards Bull Rock, there was no time to lose. From his vantage point on deck, Second Coxswain England could see that there was not enough sea room to turn to port, so he advised Coxswain Warnock to make a 360 degree turn to starboard to approach the yacht again.

By the time this was completed the casualty was no more than 25 feet from Bull Rock. Nevertheless, Coxswain Warnock took the lifeboat between the rock and the yacht, holding her clear while Second Coxswain England dropped the nylon tow rope on to her deck. With both boats ranging up to 20 feet the successful passing of the tow rope was a difficult feat.

Chris Hughes had been obliged to sit in the wheelhouse because of faintness after the loss of the portion of his finger. Nevertheless, during this dangerous phase, he not only declined help so that operations on deck should not be jeopardised, but also manned the VHP so that Coxswain Warnock could concentrate completely upon manoeuvring the lifeboat.

The face of The Bull is sheer, and it has smaller submerged rocks on its south-west and north-east sides. The sea here was highly confused and it is thought that it was only the backwash of the 20 foot waves which kept the lifeboat a boathook's length from the rock face. It was, of course, impossible to board the yacht, but the owner eventually managed to secure the tow rope around his mast.

Coxswain Warnock then went astern and towed the sloop to safety and calmer water about a quarter of a mile to the south west, where the occupants were taken on board the lifeboat. Itwas now 1810 and the lifeboat set course for her station with Calcutta Princess in tow, while First Aider Alf Prosser rendered emergency treatment to the injured Chris Hughes and First Aider Arthur May treated the yacht's crew for hypothermia and shock.

A helicopter from HMS Hermes now approached with the intention of lifting off the survivors and the injured lifeboatman for medical treatment aboard the carrier. However, it was thought best to defer the transfer until after the survivors had been landed at the slipway, at 1900. The casualties were then immediately air-lifted to Hermes, thus reaching hospital facilities much more rapidly than they would have done by the alternative of ambulance to Truro.

The lifeboat then towed the yacht into Padstow harbour and secured her alongside the quay at 1950. Permission was obtained to land the dog in care of Crew Member Richard Tummon and the lifeboat then returned to her station, rehousing by 2045.

For this service the silver medal for gallantry has been awarded to Coxswain Antony W. Warnock and Second/ Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic Trevor R.

England. The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum have been accorded to Crew Members Christopher Hughes, Arthur May, Alfred Prosser, Peter Poole and Richard Tummon..