Capsized inflatable THE HONORARY SECRETARY of Porthdinllaen lifeboat station was informed by HM Coastguard at 1522 on Saturday April 25, 1981, that an inflatable dinghy had capsized in Porthdinllaen Bay, throwing two people into the water. Maroons were fired immediately and at 1542 Porthdinllaen's lifeboat, the 47ft Watson Kathleen Mary, launched on service under the command of Second Coxswain Michael Massarelli.

A force 8 gale was blowing from the north east and the sea was very rough with a medium swell. It was two hours after high water and the tide was ebbing almost directly into the wind. Visibility was fair but the weather was extremely cold.

After launching, Acting Coxswain Massarelli headed for the casualty, an 8ft inflatable dinghy with a small outboard engine. After she had capsized her anchor had run out and had finally caught, holding the boat, still upside down, about 120 yards off the beach.

One man was on top of the inflatable, clinging on; the other man was in the water holding on to the boat's side.

Arriving at 1547, Acting Coxswain Massarelli found that, with the casualty being so close to the beach and with submerged rocks and a half submerged 18ft dory to seaward, there was little choice of approach open to him. The seas in the area were estimated to be ten feet high with occasional waves up to 15 feet, and the average depth of the water near the capsized dinghy was about ten feet; moreover, the waves were breaking and the surf was increased by the ebbing tide. The broken seas affected both the lifeboat's rudder and propellers, making manoeuvring extremely difficult.

With waves breaking over the lifeboat and into her wheelhouse, Acting Coxswain Massarelli manoeuvred the boat between the casualty and the beach and a line was thrown to the man on top of the inflatable dinghy; as the man caught it he was washed off and down towards the lifeboat, where he was quickly hauled aboard. So great was the lifeboat's roll that at least twice people on shore caught sight of her keel. Once the man was on board the lifeboat went astern, up into the seas.

On her second approach the lifeboat was knocked away from the casualty butas she approached for the third time the man still in the water, unable to hold on any longer, let go of the inflatable dinghy and was washed down to the lifeboat and pulled aboard.

At 1558 the lifeboat withdrew, once again stern first, and headed for the moorings off the lifeboat slip. Throughout the service it had been necessary to keep putting the lifeboat's engines astern to hold her stern up into the seas.

Waves were breaking over her continuously and she had touched bottom once.

The two survivors were suffering from exposure so they were lifted off the lifeboat and taken to Bangor Hospital by a helicopter from RAF Valley which arrived overhead after completing a service in Snowdonia. As conditions on the slip were too bad for her to be rehoused, the lifeboat was safely moored to await an improvement in the weather and, as it was too rough to use the boarding boat, her crew were eventually landed by the helicopter when she returned from Bangor.

For this service the bronze medal was awarded to Acting Coxswain Michael Massarelli. Medal service certificates were presented to Motor Mechanic Kenneth Fitzpatrick, Assistant Mechanic Ivor H. Griffiths and Crew Members James P. Bentley, Owie Roberts, John I. Griffiths, Keith B. Jones and Geraint Wyn Davies..