Trapped at cliff foot THE HONORARY SECRETARY of Borth ILB station was in the boathouse when, at 2025 on Friday August 18, 1978, he was told that two people were trapped by the tide half a mile south west of the station. The informant had sighted them while walking along the cliff top.

Maroons were fired immediately.

Most of the crew and shore helpers were close by the boathouse and the crew were dressed ready for launching at 2029.

The wind was westerly, force 3, with very heavy ground swell running and breaking on the beach. It was high water springs.

Berth's drive-off trolley being away for repairs, the three crew members with two launchers pushed the D class ILB on her relief trolley into the heavy breaking swell; launching was a very difficult operation in those conditions.

At one stage, with all five men holding the boat, they were lifted and thrown back over the trolley. Once the boat was clear of the trolley, Crew MembersDilwyn Owen and Richard Jeremy, holding her bow into the sea, were constantly under water.

The crew embarked and then as Helmsman Ronald Davies took the boat clear of the breaking seas he realised that her engine was not developing full power. He found that the propeller was fouled by a mass of 'sea lace' seaweed that had been in the water close to the beach. It was soon cleared and the ILB headed at full speed for the scene of the incident.

The heavy ground swell was beating against the cliff face, driving spray 20 to 25 feet into the air, and two people were sighted sitting on a ledge just above the breaking sea. Helmsman Davies manoeuvred through a rocky outcrop and signalled by hand for the man and woman to move further along the cliff face into a partial lee formed by a large rock jutting out from the cliff.

On the first run in the ILB was pushed broadside to the swell, just clear of the cliff face. Helmsman Davies put the engine astern, turned quickly and headed out clear of the cliffs while remaining inside the rocky outcrop.

The second run in was made at full revolutions and Helmsman Davies brought the ILB bow-on to the cliff face and held her there while Crew Members Owen and Jeremy, one either side in the bows, held on to the cliff helping to keep the boat from turning broadside to the sea.

The ILB was being lifted and dropped about five to six feet by the swell and the two stranded people were about four feet above her on the top of the swell. The girl jumped into the boat but just as the man was about to jump the sea took the ILB hard against the cliff and then sucked her away.

Helmsman Davies used full throttle but could not break the grip of the sea until the boat was about ten to twelve feet off the cliff face. Once clear of the suction, he brought her back against the cliff and the man jumped aboard.

The ILB was then taken clear out tosea and returned to station, making a beach landing. The man and woman left after making a donation to the station, and the ILB was once again ready for service at 2105.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to the Helmsman Ronald J.

Davies. Crew Members Dilwyn J.

Owen and Richard W. Jeremy were presented with vellum service certificates..