Tender capsizes EIGHT PEOPLE set out in a yacht tender from Donaghadee in the early evening of Monday July 13, 1981, to return to a motor cruiser anchored just outside the harbour. As the tender, which had very little freeboard, left the harbour and turned towards her parent yacht a tide rip disturbance slopped water over one side and with movement of the people on board the boat was upset.

Eric Reynolds had been watching the tender, and when he saw her capsize he raced to the bottom of his garden and set off in his 19ft dory, Puffin.

The first man he pulled aboard was obviously in a bad way and Mr Reynolds immediately started to give him mouth to mouth resuscitation, with brief intervals as he recovered five more people over the side and into his boat; one of these five was a woman who had been on board the motor cruiser and who had dived overboard to help the people in the water. The three other people managed to swim to the cruiser and climb aboard.

In less than a quarter of an hour from the time the tender had upset, Mr Reynolds had brought ashore the six people he had recovered, but although he and other Donaghadee lifeboat station members continued to give mouth to mouth resuscitation, the first man he had pulled aboard his boat could not be revived. An ambulance had been called and two of the rescued were taken to hospital for a check up.

For this service a letter of appreciation signed by Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, director of the Institution, was sent to D. Eric Reynolds who is a member of Donaghadee station branch committee and had previously been a reserve crew member at Pwllheli and then at Donaghadee..