Snow IN THE SEVERE SNOW STORMS last January lifeboatmen from several stations in Wales played an important part in helping to get medical supplies and food through to villages which were cut off by deep snow drifts and impassable roads and could only be reached by sea.

At 0700 on Monday January 11 the honorary secretary of New Quay (Dyfed) lifeboat station was asked by the Coastguard and by the honorary medical adviser for help in taking urgent medical supplies for children stranded in camp near Llangranog, seven miles south west of the lifeboat station, and also medical supplies and bread for villages along the route.

New Quay's 37ft Oakley lifeboat Bird's Eye launched at 0720 under the command of Second Coxswain Idris Evans. Coxswain David Evans was already making similar supply runs to the north east of the town in his own fishing boat. Bird's Eye took with her the coxswain's outboard dinghy to help with landing the supplies and three extra crew members, David Holeyman, Mark Rees and Roger Davies. were embarked to man this boat.

It was a fine day with good visibility and a gentle north-easterly breeze. The sea was moderate.

On the way along the coast a man was seen waving frantically on a cliff top.

Acting Coxswain Evans investigated and found that the man's six-month-old baby had no baby food. This was obtained in Aberporth and landed by the dinghy, together with medical supplies and bread, on the open beach at Llangranog. It was 1630 by the time the lifeboat was back on station.

The next day, Tuesday January 12.

Bird's Eye had launched by 0840, and once again worked to the south west of New Quay under the command of Second Coxswain Idris Evans while Coxswain David Evans worked to the north east in his own boat. There was a moderate sea with a heavy swell running and while ferrying food and medical supplies ashore at Llangranog Beach the dinghy was swamped and her three crew that day, David Holeyman, David Williams and Daniel Potter, were thrown into the surf. A helicopter returning from another urgent supply mission later picked up the three men from the beach and landed them back aboard the lifeboat, after first helping toland supplies at Tresaith Beach. In the meantime, however, Bird's Eye had gone on down the coast to Aberporth and brought back another dinghy manned by three Aberporth men. Waves also broke over this dinghy on her way to Llangranog Beach with supplies from the lifeboat, but she reached the beach safely.

It was 1845 by the time Bird's Eye returned to New Quay and was rehoused.

The next morning, Wednesday January 13, she was out again from 0830 to noon, taking food and medical supplies to Llangranog and Cwmtudu. The coxswain's dinghy was also recovered.

Coxswain David Evans himself took his fishing boat to Aberaeron to pick up a surgeon who was to operate on a patient in Aberystwyth..