An afternoon's work A SOUTH-EASTERLY NEAR GALE, force 7.

deteriorating to gale force 8 with heavy rain squalls was blowing at Hayling Island during the afternoon of Saturday September 19, 1981. The tide was ebbing so that with wind against tide the seas were rough at Chichester Bar, in the main fairway close to Sandy Point and up Emsworth Channel.

The honorary secretary of Hayling Island lifeboat station and members of the crew had gathered at the boathouse, ready should the lifeboat be neededin the bad weather. Following a 999 telephone call to Solent Coastguard reporting red flares in Hayling Bay, the station's Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat was first launched at 1610 manned by Helmsman Frank Dunster and Crew Members Roderick James and Graham Raines. An exhausted windsurfer together with his sailboard was picked up and landed at Hayling Island Sailing Club at 1630.

Just at that time Solent Coastguard received another 999 call. The Atlantic 21 was re-directed up Emsworth Channel to Marker Point where a second exhausted windsurfer was found and pulled aboard the lifeboat together with his sailboard.

While on the way north to Marker Point, at 1650, the Atlantic 21 was told by the Coastguard of another 999 call reporting a capsized dinghy at Hayling Island Bridge. She headed on up channel but on arrival her crew saw that the dinghy had been landed ashore by Langstone Sailing Club's rescue boat.

The Atlantic 21 was returning down Emsworth Channel, intending to land the windsurfer still on board, when just south of Marker Point, with the wind increasing to strong gale, force 9, an 18ft yacht was seen being blown on to a lee shore on the saltings north of Verner Beacon. The lifeboat closed the yacht and passed a towline at 1719.

A minute later, the Atlantic 21 crew heard on the VHP radio that Solent Coastguard had received another 999 call reporting someone clinging to a breakwater off Sandy Point. Helmsman Dunster immediately ordered the towline to be slipped and told the yacht to anchor until the lifeboat could return.

By 1722 the Atlantic 21 was heading at full speed in the rough sea and driving rain towards Sandy Point. The rescued windsurfer was still aboard as there was no time to land him.

The Sandy Point area was reached by 1725, but on a first search no one could be found. Then Shore Helper Trevor Pearce, who is also an auxiliary coastguard, called up on VHP radio to say that he could see someone on a groyne on the south shore almost opposite theGolden Nugget Cafe and he asked for immediate help. Helmsman Dunster took the Atlantic 21 past Eaststoke Beacon at full speed and, to save time, rounded Eaststoke Point directly across West Pole Sands. During this crossing through very rough, confused seas and driving rain, several people ashore saw the lifeboat come near vertical and at times she was totally obscured from view by sea and spray.

At 1728 the lifeboat had safely crossed West Pole Sands and, through the spray and driving rain, her crew saw a teenage boy some 20 yards out from the sea wall with his arms and legs entwined around one of the posts on a groyne.

The very rough seas, confused by the reflection of the waves off the sea wall, were breaking over the youth; he was in fact covered by waves more often than he was visible.

Shore Helper Pearce had tied a rope around his waist and, with Shore Helper Bill Langford tending the rope, had tried valiantly to reach the terrified boy from ashore, but he could not get close enough through the breaking seas.

Helmsman Dunster brought the Atlantic 21 close in on the east side of the groyne, turning hard to port just in - (• . ... .\ -1 , J • the surf line ready to come in close alongside the post. The Atlantic 21 was caught by an incoming wave; she broached to and both engines failed.

The two outboards were restarted in gear at the first push of the starter buttons.

Immediately the engines had been restarted a second large incoming wave hit the lifeboat, turning her broadside on and rolling her on to her sponson.

The same wave thrown back from the sea wall and now travelling out to sea caught the Atlantic for a second time and again rolled her on to her sponson.

Taking the boat clear, Helmsman Dunster tried a stern-first approach, but the backwash of waves from the sea wall prevented him from bringing the lifeboat near the boy. Another attempt bow first also failed and the Atlantic 21 was picked up by a curling wave and flung over, but clear of, the groyne.

An approach was then made on the west side of the groyne but for a second time both engines stalled; they were immediately restarted, in gear astern, quickly enough to prevent the lifeboat being hurled into the sea wall. While trying to gain sea room a large wave broke right over the Atlantic.

Once out to sea and clear of the surf the three lifeboatmen discussed the situation. It was clear that the Atlantic 21 could not be taken close enough to the breakwater to snatch the boy off without great risk to the boy himself, the lifeboat and her crew, so it was agreed that the lifeboat should be taken in as close as possible and that one of the crew should try to swim to the boy.

Both crew members were willing to go but Helmsman Dunster asked Roderick James to make the attempt.

Just before this plan could be put into Produced from a portion of BA Chan No 3418 with the sanction of the Controller HM Stationery Office and the Hydrographer of the Navy.

CHI C*"H E S T E R H A R B O U R action, however, the crew saw another brave attempt being made to rescue the boy from the shore. Shore Helper Nigel Roper, wearing a dry suit and with a rope around his waist tended by people on the sea wall, entered the water, but he could make no headway against the sea; caught by incoming rolling surf, he was flung, fortunately without serious injury, against the sea wall.

Helmsman Dunster then brought the Atlantic 21 as close as he could to the figure clinging to the post and Crew Member James entered the water and began a slow but firm swim of some 30 feet to the boy. When about 10 feet from the post Roderick James saw the boy let go and disappear beneath the waves. He stopped swimming immediately to concentrate on searching for a glimpse of the boy and several seconds later saw his head bob up six or seven feet away. Roderick James struck out and quickly reached the inert body, grabbed the youth, turned him on to his back in the lifesaving towing position and started to swim to the shore. After one or two more strokes both Roderick James and the boy were picked up by a large wave and landed ashore on the concrete works joining the sea wall to the breakwater. The lifeboatman recalls seeing an outstretched arm which he was unable to reach, but the next wave washed him and the boy further ashore where they were safely grabbed by Nigel Roper and Trevor Pearce.

Roderick James managed to lift the youth the six feet from the beach to the waiting arms of Shore Helper Bill Langford on the sea wall, and Bill Langford also helped the other three men up from the beach. The boy, a pupil of Roderick James who is a schoolmaster, was found to be suffering badly from hypothermia and from many abrasions on his chest and arms. He was helped into the Coastguard Landrover and wrapped in blankets until an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital.

At 1745, once the boy was safe.

Helmsman Dunster set off on a southeasterly course to round Chichester Bar Beacon, avoiding the worsening seas over West Pole Sands, before turning to re-enter the harbour. While on the way, five minutes later, a 30ft cabin cruiser was seen heading north west from Chichester Bar Beacon towards West Pole Sands, instead of for the harbour entrance. The lifeboat made for the cruiser at full speed, gave her a safe course and escorted her into the harbour through the very rough following seas.

Back at the lifeboat station, at 1800, Roderick James rejoined the Atlantic 21 and the windsurfer, still aboard, was landed together with his craft at Hayling Island Sailing Club. The lifeboat then returned to the 18ft yacht left earlier at anchor north of Verner Beacon.

The yacht's anchor had not held and she had been blown hard aground on to a reed bank just off the main Emsworth Channel. The Atlantic 21 was broughtalongside but, as she was passing a tow line to the yacht, she too went aground.

All three of her crew entered the water to pull both boats off. When in four feet of water the crew reboarded the lifeboat, her engines were restarted and the tow began.

Six to eight foot head seas and driving rain were met off Mill Rythe and the towline parted. A second line was passed and the tow was once again under way when, at 1827, another yacht was seen in difficulties on the nearby Pilsey Sands. The yacht in tow was secured to a mooring and the lifeboat made at full speed for the second yacht; she had been blown on to the sands after her engine had failed. Her crew were advised to lay out an anchor and that they would then be taken off. In the rough confused seas several attempts had to be made to get alongside the yacht. On one approach, after grasping the yacht's guardrail Crew Member James was tossed into the sea between the two boats by the rolling action of the beam sea. Before the two boats could roll together, however, he had been pulled back into the lifeboat by Crew Member Raines.

Once the four people from the yacht were safely on board the Atlantic 21, she returned to the 18ft yacht, took her to a safer mooring and then took off her crew. At 1845, the Atlantic 21 headed back for station, where she arrived at 1900 to land the six extra people on board.

Ten minutes later, after embarking two additional crew members, Simon Wilson and Albert Kirby, Hayling Island Atlantic 21 went to a catamaran reported in trouble off Pilsey Island and took off her lone crew. Lastly, at 1930, the lifeboat embarked three people from a trimaran moored off Hayling Island Sailing Club who could not reach shore because the yacht's two tenders had both capsized. All the people taken off were landed at the sailing club.

The Atlantic 21 returned to station at 1950, was refuelled and at 2000 was once again ready for service.

For this series of services, but especially for the rescue of the boy from the groyne, the silver medal was awarded to Crew Member Roderick H. James and a bar to his bronze medal to Helmsman Frank S. Dunster. The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Crew Member Graham A.

Raines and Shore Helpers Trevor M.

Pearce and Nigel F. Roper..