Boy rescued TWO PEOPLE IN THE SEA at Rocky Valley, Bossiney, near Tintagel, 6.7 miles from Port Isaac, were reported to the deputy launching authority of Port Isaac lifeboat station by HM Coastguard at 1326 on Monday August 14, 1978.

Maroons were fired at 1328 and three minutes later Port Isaac D class ILB launched and set out at full speed.

Helmsman Mark Provis was in commandcommand and Edward Fletcher and Andrew Walton were his crew.

It was one hour before high water on a neap tide, the wind was south west, moderate force 4, and a swell of ten feet and more was coming from the west; the weather was fine with good visibility.

After an uncomfortable passage of 24 minutes, the ILB arrived at 1355 to find that a boy had been hauled out of the water by visitors on the cliff above, using a line and Kapok dumbell float.

He was now on a narrow, sloping ledge underneath an overhang of rock, just above the level of the highest swells. A helicopter from RAF Chivenor was standing by to seaward, unable to effect a rescue because of the overhanging rock.

Helmsman Provis decided to anchor and veer down under oars. However, the backwash was so strong that it was not possible to row against it and the ILB had to be taken astern on her engine to within two feet of the cliff.

Crew Member Fletcher jumped for the rock but was unable to hold on and fell back into the sea, dropping into a falling swell. The next wave carried him up to the ledge ten feet above and he was able to land just below the boy.

The ILB was thrown broadside on to the rocks but Crew Member Walton, who was manning the radio, was able to pull her clear on her anchor cable.

Meanwhile, Crew Member Fletcher climbed to the boy who was in a state of severe shock and who had lacerations to his hands and feet. He said his father was in the water and drowning.

Edward Fletcher shouted this information to the ILB and Andrew Walton relayed it to the helicopter and Coastguard mobile, but there was no sight of the man.

Edward Fletcher now tried to coax the boy down the sloping ledge to where he could more easily get him into the ILB, but the boy appeared unableto move on his own. Helmsman Provis brought the ILB close to the cliff again and Crew Member Walton threw the painter. Crew Member Fletcher had to reject this, however, as the boy was still being held fast by the line to the visitors on the cliff top. Edward Fletcher shouted to them to pay out the whole rope, but only about ten feet was veered. This bight was eventually taken by Helmsman Provis who decided to cut it and hold on to the end attached to the boy.

Two large swells in succession then nearly swept Edward Fletcher and the boy into the sea and, as the ILB was carried away at the same time, Helmsman Provis had to let go the rope to avoid dragging them off the rock.

Once again Helmsman Provis brought the ILB close to the rocks and this time Edward Fletcher pushed the boy into the ILB as she rose with the swell. He was safely caught by Andrew Walton and Crew Member Fletcher followed, just managing to land on the ILB's sponson and being pulled inboard by Helmsman Provis.

Andrew Walton wrapped the boy in the polythene exposure sheet and the ILB headed seawards at 1405 to make rendezvous with the helicopter. The boy was winched into the helicopter and the ILB then searched for his father until 1515 when the search was called off. On the return passage to Port Isaac the ILB was diverted to Delabole Point to help in the recovery of a dead man. She stood by while the Cliff Rescue Team recovered the body and then returned to station, arriving at 1750. She had been at sea for more than four hours.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Helmsman Mark J. Provis and Crew Member Edward J. Fletcher.

A vellum service certificate was presented to Crew Member Andrew D.

Walton..