Four rescued ON THURSDAY April 8, the honorary secretary of St Ives lifeboat station was down at the boathouse in the late afternoon when, at 1628, he saw a 16ft sailing dinghy leave harbour with two young men and two youths on board.

After watching her for a little while, and seeing the distance decreasing between her and Hayle Bar, an area to the south east where the seas were likely to be very dangerous, he became concerned for the safety of those on board.

At 1633 he telephoned St Ives Coastguard and agreed to launch the D class inflatable lifeboat. By this time the sailing dinghy was a mile clear of St Ives Harbour entrance heading in the direction of Hayle Bar.

Although the day was fine and clear, there was a fresh to strong breeze, force 5 to 6, blowing from the north, the sea was rough with waves about seven to eight feet high and there was a moderate to heavy swell. It was about three hours before high water.The assembly klaxon was sounded and at 1635 the D class lifeboat was launched from the harbour into sheltered waters; she was manned by Helmsman Eric Ward and Crew Members William Thomas and Philip Allen.

Course was set for Hayle Bar and full speed maintained. The sea was on the port quarter, and it was an uncomfortable, wet passage. At first the mast of the dinghy could be seen occasionally between the troughs. Then it disappeared from sight and the Coastguard confirmed that the dinghy had capsized in the surf on the bar; her four crew, one without a lifejacket, were reported to be clinging to the upturned dinghy.

There was a heavy ground swell on the bar which, with the strong onshore wind, was causing heavy breaking seas which extended 500 yards off shore.

Reaching these breaking seas at 1637, the urgency of the call dictated that Helmsman Ward should continue at full speed into the surf line. Once inside the surf line the upturned dinghy was quickly seen 50 yards off the port bow; her four crew were clinging to her.

Such were the conditions on the bar that even at that distance the casualty was frequently obscured by breaking waves. Helmsman Ward continued his approach at reduced speed, with the lifeboat now taking on more water than the self bailers could clear. Nevertheless, choosing his moment carefully between breaking waves. Helmsman Ward made a sharp turn to port and successfully brought the lifeboat port side to the upturned dinghy, which was held fast by her mast submerged in the sand.

Working together the crew first pulled in the survivor who was not wearinga lifejacket and then the remaining three. Within a minute the lifeboat reported that all four were on board.

The water in the lifeboat was now level with the top of the sponsons, running over the transom as the lifeboat was lifted by the heavy seas.

While trying to clear the casualty, the lifeboat's outboard engine propeller was fouled by a halyard from the dinghy.

Crew Member Allen instantly entered the water to try to hold the bow head to sea, while Crew Member Thomas also tried to hold the bow up by means of an oar shipped over the starboard side and Helmsman Ward tried to clear the propeller. The propeller was entangled with four full turns of polypropylene rope, the standing part of the rope still made fast to the dinghy thus effectively anchoring the lifeboat by her stern. This made it impossible for Helmsman Ward to gain enough slack on the rope to free it.

Meanwhile, Crew Member Allen, stationed at the bow with water at chest height but frequently being lifted six feet with the boat, realised he was fighting a losing battle trying to keep the boat head to sea. So, seeing the obvious difficulty Helmsman Ward was experiencing in freeing the propeller, he decided to join him at the stern. He made his way aft between lifeboat and dinghy.

At 1640 the Coastguard lookout, seeing the lifeboat to be in serious trouble, alerted RNAS Culdrose.

By now the lifeboat had slewed around on the halyard which was holding the propeller fast. Crew Member Thomas was still trying to hold her head up into the wind, but she was practically beam on to the sea and continually shipping water. Helmsman Ward passed the boat's knife to Crew Member Allen who cut the offending halyard, the helmsman was then able to disentangle the rope, and with this sudden release the lifeboat came back head to sea. Crew Member Allen, who had sustained a rib injury during his efforts in the water, was by this time extremely cold; he was unable to help himself, so Crew Member Thomas seized him and hauled him on board.

Restarting the engine first time.

Helmsman Ward thought of making an emergency landing on the beach 400 yards away but, with the lifeboat so heavily laden, there was no response to the helm and with a maximum speed of only 8 knots he was committed to going in the direction he was heading, out to sea.

With his two crew throwing their weight forward to combat the force of the breaking waves, therefore. Helmsman Ward set to the task of getting the lifeboat out beyond the surf line. He successfully negotiated ten six-foot breaking waves before finally coming clear of the surf. At first the lifeboat simply drove through the oncoming waves with heavy water breaking overall; as speed increased between thewaves, however, the water within the boat cleared through the self bailers, allowing her enough power to take on the waves.

By 1643 the lifeboat was clear of the broken water and course was set for St Ives Harbour. The Coastguard now cancelled the helicopter.

On the return passage, with the rough seas on the starboard bow, speed was at first kept down to 12 knots. Crew Member Thomas treated the four survivors, who were suffering from hypothermia, but during the course of the passage he became particularly concerned about one of them who appeared to be concussed. At his request, Helmsman Ward increased to full speed. Crew Member Allen, who was operating the radio, did not realise there was to be a change of speed; his weakened state preventing him from taking a proper hold meant that he fell overboard. He was, however, promptly picked up and St Ives Harbour was reached at 1654. The four dinghy sailors and Crew Member Allen were taken to hospital by waiting Police cars. The lifeboat, which had been damaged, was rehoused at 1710 and taken off service for repair; the next day, Friday April 9, she was temporarily replaced with a relief D class lifeboat.

For this service the bronze medal was awarded to Helmsman Eric T. Ward and the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Crew Members William J. Thomas and Philip Allen..