Tugs aground ST ANNE'S COASTGUARD informed the honorary secretary of St David's lifeboat station at 2020 on Sunday October 18, 1981, that the tug Vernicos Giorgos, with two other tugs in tow, had a rope round her propeller and was dragging her anchors in the northern part of St Brides Bay. By 2134 the tugs were close to the rocks and the Coastguard requested the launch of St David's lifeboat.

Maroons were fired and the 46ft 9in Watson relief lifeboat Charles Henry Ashley, on temporary service at St David's, launched at 2156 under the command of Coxswain/Mechanic Frederick John.

A south-westerly gale force 8 was blowing and the combined sea and swell was about seven feet high. It was slack water, 45 minutes before high water.

Visibility was five miles.

After launching, Coxswain John set a southerly course through Ramsay Sound and then turned east into St Brides Bay. By 2254 the lifeboat was 4Vs. miles south west of Green Scar. The tug master was instructed by the Coast-guard to fire a red flare and the exact position of the tugs was fixed as 51°52'N, 05°13'w.

The lifeboat arrived at this position at 2316. The two tugs being towed were already on the rocks, but the towing tug, Vernicos Giorgos, was still afloat.

She was riding to two anchors which were slowly dragging, taking the tug remorselessly on to the rocks. The crews of all three tugs, eight men, were aboard Vernicos Giorgos. Waves were breaking over all three tugs and Vernicos Giorgos, at anchor, was entirely at the mercy of the sea.

The south-westerly gale was gusting up to force 9 and the seas were estimated from on shore to be 15 to 20 feet high. The water was so shallow that Vernicos Giorgos was hitting the bottom in every trough and every wave was breaking over her. The tide was now ebbing to the west at about 2 knots, making the confused seas worse, with wind against tide.

By 2316 the lifeboat had approached Vernicos Giorgos. To avoid the anchors lying out over the port bow of the tug, Coxswain John decided to come alongside her starboard bow, thus putting himself between the weather and the casualty. The position was further complicated by the tow rope from the tug; it was difficult in the darkness to see how it lay. The whole rescue took place using the searchlight to illuminate the scene.

Coxswain John made five approaches to the tug, on each occasion clearing her again by going astern into the sea, with waves breaking over the lifeboat. The first two and the fourth approaches had to be abandoned, but two men were taken off at the third approach and one more man was taken off at the fifth approach. Throughout this manoeuvre the lifeboat was pitching almost uncontrollably and great skill was needed to hold her in position.

The tug master had decided to remain on board with the four remaining members of the crew, hoping that a salvage tug he had ordered from Milford Haven might still arrive in time to pull him clear. Coxswain John warned him by VHP that, as the tide was falling, before long the lifeboat would be unable to reach him. Just after midnight Vernicos Giorgos grounded and the tug master then requested that he and his crew be taken off. St David's lifeboat could not now approach because there was not enough water, so, while the lifeboat and the local cliff rescue company illuminated the scene a helicopter from RAF Brawdy carried out an extremely skilful rescue of the remaining five men. The lifeboat then returned to station; she was rehoused and ready for service at 0200 on Monday October 19.

For this service the bronze medal was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Frederick G. John and medal service certificates were presented to Acting Second Coxswain John H. Phillips, Acting Assistant Mechanic David J.Bateman and Crew Members Michael J. Morris, Norman Rowley, Keith Jones and David J. O. Chant..