Skegness: A Balcar 105 helicopter was seen to crash into the sea, five miles east south east of Skegness, on the afternoon of Tuesday July 24, 1984. At 1306 Skegness's 15ft 6in D class inflatable lifeboat launched from the beach manned by Helmsman Peter D. Green and Crew Member Kevin T. Smith; they were followed at 1331 by the station's 37ft Oakley lifeboat Charles Fred Grantham under the command of Coxswain Ken Holland. Wind was northeasterly, force 3, and visibility good; the crashed helicopter had released smoke flares and at 1325 the D class lifeboat sighted the casualty. Flotation bags were keeping it on the surface and the three men who had been aboard were clinging to the bags. They were not seriously injured but were very cold. After being taken aboard the lifeboat, they were lifted into an RAF helicopter and flown to Skegness hospital. Hunstanton's Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat had also launched, manned by Helmsman Alan J. Clarke and Crew Members Michael Wallace and John Hawkes, and when Charles Fred Grantham arrived on the scene, the two inflatable lifeboats helped to pass a towline between the wrecked helicopter and the 37ft Oakley class lifeboat. She then towed the wreckage ashore, arriving at the beach at 1715 (above).

photograph by courtesy of Ben Hardaker.