Launch into south-westerly strong gale, force 9, Sunday March 22: Three progressive photographs of Eastbourne lifeboat, the 37ft 6in Rather Duke of Kent, taken by 16-yearold Matthew Hancock as (left) she launched down her slipway into (below) very heavy breaking seas and (right) cleared out to sea.

Duke of Kent, under the command of Coxswain/ Mechanic Ronald Wheeler, launched at 1215 to help search for two people swept into the sea at Cooden. A man and a boy had been trying to strengthen sea defences at the back of their garden when they were engulfed by a wave and carried out by the undertow. At 1338 a message was received that the man had managed to clamber ashore but that the boy had been drowned; his body was recovered from the surf by coastguards. The lifeboat returned to station, was safely recovered despite the very rough conditions and was once more ready for service at 1615..