Two fishermen lost LIVERPOOL COASTGUARD received a 999 call at 2159 on August 19, 1979, from Braystones reporting that twomen who had gone fishing in an inflatable dinghy had not returned. It was thought that they had gone south to the outlet buoy off Windscale, where the warm water attracts the fish, for mackerel.

The area is not well populated, and it was possible that, perhaps after engine failure, the men had paddled or swum ashore, so Workington Coastguard was alerted and while Workington mobile set out for Braystones a coastal search from St Bees Head to Selker Point was organised using Bootle and Whitehaven auxiliary coastguards. At 2225 Workington mobile reported that people recently returned from fishing said they had seen the two missing men fishing near the outlet buoy at 1900.

Liverpool Coastguard called the honorary secretary of St Bees inshore lifeboat station at 2318 asking if the D class inflatable lifeboat could be taken by road and launched from Sellafield, just north of Windscale. The boat was towed south by road but, as she could not be launched from Sellafield, she was taken on to Seascale where, by the light of car headlamps, she was launched from the beach at 0051.

The weather was good with a gentle breeze blowing from the north and a slight sea; it was 3'/2 hours after high water.

The inshore lifeboat set out to search the area off the power station and at 0218 found the missing dinghy, semi deflated with a large split in her starboard sponson; she was l'/2 miles south east of the outlet buoy. There was no sign of the two men.

Meanwhile, Workington lifeboat, the 46ft 9in Watson Sir Godfrey Baring launched at 0220 to help search. The two lifeboats were joined during the night by HMS Hodgeston, which was asked to assume the duty of 'on scene commander', and at first light by a helicopter.

At 0901 a fishing boat, Sea Spray recovered a body off shore which was brought to land by St Bees ILB.

Although the search continued until 0945 nothing else was found. The inshore lifeboat was recovered at Seascale, returned to St Bees by road and was rehoused by 1200. Workington lifeboat was back on station at 1155.

For this long service a letter signed by Cdr Bruce Cairns, chief of operations RNLI, expressing the Institution's appreciation to the ten St Bees crew members who, in turn, took part was sent to Captain L. Goldwater, honorary secretary of St Bees inshore lifeboat station.

In memory of the two Kendal men who were drowned, an uncle and nephew, £400 raised by an Onion Show at The Station Hotel, Oxenholme, was donated to the lifeboat service..