Injured crew DURING THE AFTERNOON of Friday OctOber 9, 1981, the 38,000 ton Danish container vessel Dragor Maersk, on passage from Hamburg to Port Said, told east coast radio stations that a crew member with a fractured hip needed to be taken ashore. South-westerly gales, force 8 to 9, and high seas ruled out a helicopter service in daylight and, while Drag0r Maersk gave her expected timeof arrival off Dover as midnight, her exact position was not known. At 2102 Dover Coastguard telephoned Dover station honorary secretary, explaining earlier events and amending the container vessel's ETA off Dover to 0100 on Saturday October 10. After discussion with Coxswain Anthony Hawkins it was agreed that the injured man should be taken off by lifeboat and that the lifeboatmen, together with Dr Peter Welch, the honorary medical adviser, should muster to consider a plan of action for an evacuation from such a large vessel.

The crew assembled at 2300 and a full 'dry' exercise was carried out with a patient in the Neil Robertson stretcher, lashed into the rigid cot stretcher, to find the correct point of balance for lifting the combined unit.

At 0014 on Saturday October 10 Dover's 50ft Thames class lifeboat Rotary Service slipped her moorings and set out at full speed carrying a complement of ten; she was under the command of Coxswain Hawkins. The east pierhead was cleared and as course was set eastward to the agreed rendezvous l!/2 miles south west of South Goodwin Lightship very heavy seas and a quartering swell were encountered.

Arriving at the rendezvous at 0200, the lifeboat was taken to Drag0r Maersk's port side as she lay heading south east to provide a lee. Dr Welch, Second Coxswain/Mechanic Roy Couzens and Crew Member/First Aider Garth James, activated their lifejacket lights before preparing to go aboard the container vessel. Coxswain Hawkins placed the lifeboat's starboard bow alongside Drag0r Maersk and Second Coxswain Couzens stepped on to her power assisted pilot ladder; after climbing the first six feet, the mechanical hoist lifted him the remaining 30 feet to deck level. Dr Welch and Crew Member James boarded separately in the same way. Despite the lee offered by the container vessel, Coxswain Hawkins had difficulty holding the lifeboat in position alongside in the heavy seas.

On reaching the deck the medical party were met by the chief engineer and, while Dr Welch and Crew Member James were taken by lift through the accommodation to the injured man.

Second Coxswain Couzens supervised the lifting aboard of the first aid bags, stretchers and portable VHP radio by a stores derrick two decks above on the after deck; he decided that the derrick wire and hook were too heavy and uncontrollable for the lowering of the stretcher and arranged for a hand line to be rigged through the derrick head lead.

The lifeboat meanwhile was lying off and Coxswain Hawkins noticed that the container vessel was being driven up tide by the gale. He advised the master to re-position as Drag0r Maersk was only one mile from South Goodwin Lightvessel.

By 0230 Dr Welch had examined the patient and had diagnosed a fractured pelvis. The man was placed in a survivor's lifejacket and bump hat before being secured in the Neil Robertson stretcher, which in turn was then securely lashed within the cot stretcher.

The medical party had great difficulty in moving the patient through the vessel's alleyways to the after deck, but at 0240 all was ready.

Dr Welch wished to be taken off first, to receive the patient on board the lifeboat. He was lowered on the pilot hoist and climbed down the fixed part of the ladder, waiting there, holding on, until Coxswain Hawkins could bring the lifeboat's foredeck under the hoist and he was told to jump. A crew member grabbed the doctor's lifejacket straps and held him safely on board.

After this transfer and one unsuccessful attempt to close the vessel again, Coxswain Hawkins asked the master to steam slowly ahead because Drag0r Maersk's drift against the ebb tide was causing six foot seas, even on her lee side. At the second attempt the lifeboat was held firmly alongside, starboard bow to, and, with the lifeboat searchlight and the ship's deck lights illuminating the area well, the transfer of the stretcher began.

Five crew members stood by on the foredeck while Second Coxswain Couzens and Crew Member James lowered the stretcher the 45 feet by hand, with turns on the container vessel's rail.

The derrick held the stretcher about five feet outboard and Drag0r Maersk's crew tended two heaving lines to steady the load. As the stretcher reached the foredeck, the lifeboat crew held it and immediately cut all lines before the rise and fall of the two vessels could cause trouble. Second Coxswain Couzens and Crew Member James were then taken off by way of the pilot hoist.

At 0315 the lifeboat began her passage to Dover across very heavy seas.

Many times Coxswain Hawkins had to use his throttles to reduce as far as possible the violent motion of the boat, and one crew member, thrown against the midships anchor stowage, injured his ankle. By 0345 the lifeboat had landed the patient to a waiting ambulance at the harbour steps, and by 0415 she was refuelled and once again ready for service.

A telegram was later received by the crew of Dover lifeboat from the master of Drag0r Maersk which need: 'Please receive my heartfelt thanks for your brilliant assistance rendered my injured crew member. We/I done folks. Best regards.' For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic Anthony G. Hawkins and a special doctor's vellum to Dr Peter S. Welch.

Vellum service certificates were presented to Second Coxswain/Mechanic Roy W. Couzens, Second Assistant Mechanic Michael F. Abbot and Crew Members Geoffrey I. Buckland, Robert J. Bruce, Alan G. Barker, Alan K.Perkins, Garth V. James and Kenneth W. Miles..