Not under command A MESSAGE came to Yarmouth Coastguard from Norfolk Police at 1700 on Wednesday August 12, 1981, to say that a speedboat was spinning round and round out of control off South Beach, Heacham, and a child had been hit; an ambulance was on its way.

Hunstanton Coastguard Mobile was despatched at 1710, and the lifeboat station informed. At 1715 Hunstanton's D class inflatable lifeboat was launched off the beach manned by Helmsman Alan Clarke and Crew Member Arthur Osborne together with Shore Helper J.

Connors who went out as a third member of the crew.

As the lifeboat approached the scene, about four miles south west of the station, her crew heard on the radio that a man had been recovered from the water and was on his way to hospital. When they arrived they found that the speedboat, unoccupied except for a dog, was circling at full power about 120 yards off the beach. The inflatable lifeboat first made a cautious approach to the speedboat's starboard side, but had to withdraw because of ski lines in the water.

She next tried to come up from astern, but the speedboat was too fast. The lifeboat then tried to approach the speedboat's port side, which was high out of the water. After two unsuccessful attempts. Helmsman Clarke timed it just right on the third run in and Crew Member Osborne, at great personal risk, was able to dive aboard and bring the boat under control. It was now 1730. He landed the boat and the dog on the beach and the lifeboat had returned to her station by 1752.

It was later learnt that a water skier had fallen over. His father, driving the speedboat, leant over the stern of the boat to talk to his son and fell into the propeller.

For this service a letter signed by Cdr Bruce Cairns, chief of operations, expressing the Institution's appreciation to Helmsman Alan J. Clarke and Crew Members Arthur E. Osborne and J.

Connors was sent to Hunstanton station honorary secretary, Mr J. T. Day..