Capsized coaster IN THE EARLY MORNING of Tuesday November 6, 1979, Niton Radio, Isle of Wight received a mayday call from the coaster Pool Fisher: 'We are going over, position south west of St Catherine's Point'. Nothing more was heard. The mayday was broadcast immediately, at 0549, and a major search was set in operation in which naval ships from Great Britain and the Netherlands, merchant ships, RN Wessex and Sea King helicopters and RNLI lifeboats all took part. The wind was north westerly, near gale force 7 to strong gale force 9 and the seas very rough. Visibility was fair.

Solent Coastguard telephoned the honorary secretary of Yarmouth lifeboat station at 1553 and Yarmouth's 52ft Arun Joy and John Wade slipped her mooring 15 minutes later under the command of Second Coxswain David J. Lemonius, the coxswain being on leave. The Needles were passed at 0635 and the search area, four miles south west of St Catherine's, reached at 0718; the lifeboat was asked to continue to 15 miles south west of the point.

Meanwhile, Solent Coastguard had telephoned the honorary secretary of Bembridge lifeboat station at 0620 and the 48ft 6in Solent HfeboatJacA: Shayler and the Lees launched at 0635 under the commander of Coxswain Peter Smith and was also on her way.

HMS Cardiff was designated on scene commander at 0720 and started assembling the various craft for a coordinated search of the area. The search was made more difficult by the great amount of wreckage in the area from the Aeolian Sky, which had foundered three days previously. It was learnt that Pool Fisher had been on passage from Hamburg to Merseyside with a cargo of potash; there were 15 people on board.

At 0730 Crew Member Keith Hopkins, who was navigating on board Yarmouth lifeboat, was thrown across the wheelhouse and knocked unconscious for a little while. From that time Acting Coxswain Lemonius took overnavigation and radio communications with Acting Second Coxswain Richard Downes at the helm. The injured lifeboatman was later taken off by helicopter and flown to hospital.

Yarmouth lifeboat reported sighting a slick of what looked like diesel oil at 0908 and HMS Cardiff shifted the search to seven miles south of St Catherine's.

At 0932 the Netherlands warship HNMS Amsterdam and MV Navajo sighted a body and an upturned ship's lifeboat in the water. Cardiff had just reported picking up two bodies, at 0955, when a helicopter spotted two survivors 12 miles south east by east of St Catherine's; they were lifted to safety and flown straight to hospital.

Although the search was continued all day, only being called off when darkness fell, no more survivors were found. The two lifeboats returned to their stations, arriving at about 1845, after being at sea for more than 12 hours.

For this service letters signed by John Atterton, deputy director, expressing the Institution's thanks to Coxswain Peter Smith, BEM, and Acting Coxswain David Lemonius were sent to Arthur P. Weaver, BEM, honorary secretary of Bembridge lifeboat station, and L. W. Noton, honorary secretary of Yarmouth lifeboat station..