Home made raft TWO YOUTHS, aged 15 and 17 launched a home made raft from the slipway at Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire, at about 1510 on Sunday June 10. 1979.

It was nearly high water and a moderate breeze was blowing from the south east. Breaking seas, sweeping across with considerable force, washed the raft off the slipway and very quickly round towards Gunney Hole, and the raft, made of drums and a cargo pallet, started to break up.

The younger of the two boys.

Stephen, jumped into the sea and tried to swim to safety but was soon in difficultiesdifficulties and unable to keep his head clear of the water. He shouted for help to people on the sea wall, but the wall is sheer and some 50ft high with no steps, ladders or breaks. It curves outwards at the bottom causing waves to turn back on themselves and the sea close to the wall is confused. A line with a bicycle wheel attached was lowered down the wall, but Stephen was unable to reach it.

At this point the attention of Simon Hall, a 16-year-old boy, was called to the incident. He ran down the slipway and started launching a flat-bottomed 8ft pram dinghy through the breaking seas. A man tried to get into the tiny dinghy with him. but Simon told him to get out as the boat was too small to carry them both safely.

Simon rowed the intervening 80 yards and then, handling the dinghy with great skill, put her head to sea and back-watered down to the boy in the water; had he gone in bows first he would without doubt have broached to and might well have been smashed into the wall. Stephen was able to grab the handholds at the stern of the dinghy and then Simon pulled hard through the backwash and incoming waves towards some small fishing boats at moorings.

Once in less confused water Simon pulled the exhausted and shivering Stephen into the dinghy. He then pulled alongside a fishing boat and both boys climbed into it. Simon took off his sweater and gave it to Stephen and they both put on oilskins they found on board.

Whitby ILB was informed of the incident at 1610 and launched at 1630.

While waiting for the ILB to make her passage, Stephen kept nodding off, but Simon insisted on talking to him to keep him awake. The ILB came alongside the moored coble at 1650. took offthe two boys and landed them shore in the lee at Gunney Hole where coastguards helped them up the cliff. The second boy on the raft had managed to swim ashore safely.

For this service the bronze medal was awarded to Simon Peter Hall, to whom an inscribed wrist watch will also be presented..