Injured boy IN THE EARLY EVENING of Monday May 10, a skin diver, David Morrison, was ashore at Bovisand Beach, 2!/2 miles south east of Plymouth lifeboat station, when he saw a boy trying to attract attention on the opposite side of the bay. Telling a girl who was with him that if he waved, help was needed, Mr Morrison swam across the bay and found that the boy was injured; he had fallen from the cliffs and was cut off by the tide. On seeing a wave the girl went for help while Mr Morrison made the boy comfortable, removed some of his wet clothes and put his own wet suit top on him.

At 1803 Brixham Coastguard telephoned the honorary secretary of Plymouth lifeboat station. The crew of the 18ft 6in McLachlan lifeboat on duty at the boathouse prepared to launch immediately and the lifeboat slipped her mooring at 1809; Emergency Mechanic Keith Rimmer was in command with Crew Member George Parker as his crew.

It was a fine evening with a moderate to fresh, force 4 to 5, south-easterly wind. The sea was choppy with a slight swell; it was about two hours before high water.

Arriving off Bovisand Beach at 1820 Helmsman Rimmer went ashore, leaving Crew Member Parker to look after the boat. He dressed the boy's injured knee, used a boathook as a splint for his leg and wrapped him in a survival blanket. Plymouth and Yealm Coastguard cliff rescue team then arrived.

With the help of Helmsman Rimmer and Mr Morrison, they strapped the boy into their Neil Robertson stretcher andhauled him up the cliff to a waiting ambulance.

Helmsman Rimmer rejoined the McLachlan lifeboat at Bovisand Fort at 1921 and by 1930 the lifeboat was back on her mooring and once again ready for service.

For this service a letter of appreciation signed by Commander Bruce Cairns, chief of operations, was sent to David Morrison..