Ditched helicopter WHEN ON THURSDAY July 31, 1980, Aberdeen Coastguard heard at 1213 that a British Airways helicopter returning from an oil rig in the Clyde Field with 15 people on board had ditched in the sea a 'mayday' relay was broadcast on VHP channel 16 alerting all shipping in the area. Two RAF helicopters were scrambled and Aberdeen lifeboat, the 54ft ArunBP Forties, had slipped her moorings by 1225 under the command of Acting Coxswain James Dickson.

It was a quiet day but foggy, with visibility varying from two miles to nil.

With lookouts posted, BP Forties set course for the casualty, 17 miles east by north of Aberdeen,. making best possible speed. When she arrived on scene at 1333, eight of the survivors had been lifted off by helicopter and the remaining seven had been taken aboard the research vessel Corrella from a liferaft. These seven men were put aboard the lifeboat and, using BP Forties' 'daughter' inflatable boat, the ditched helicopter was taken in tow.

The weather had now cleared and the lifeboat with the helicopter in tow set out slowly for Aberdeen, maintaining a speed of about 3 knots. During the tow, a Bristow helicopter winched down two flotation bags for the helicopter and two engineers to the rig supply vessel Edith Viking, which was acting as escort; she then took off the seven survivors from the lifeboat, flying them ashore. The inflatable dinghy was usedto take people to and from the helicopter as necessary and the tow continued without incident. Both craft arrived safely in Aberdeen at 1920 and BP Forties was back on her moorings by 1945.

For this service a letter expressing appreciation to Acting Coxswain James T. Dickson and his crew, signed by Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, director of the Institution, was sent to Captain B. Atkinson, Aberdeen station honorary secretary..