Cabin cruiser swamped ONE OF APPLEDORE lifeboat station's shore helpers, Mr P. Ford, was out fishing in his own boat on the afternoon of Saturday September 29, 1984, when he saw an 18ft cabin cruiser trying to negotiate the harbour bar, two hours before low water. Although the weather was fine with a light westerly breeze, the swell on the bar was some ten feet high and the cabin cruiser was frequently lost to sight. Then he saw that she had been turned broadside on and was listing at 90 degrees on the side of a wave. At one point, while the boat was on her beam ends, one of her two occupants fell from the top to the bottom of the boat.

Immediately he alerted the nearby fishing vessel, Walker, which was able to radio Hartland Coastguard for assistance.

At 1438 Appledore's Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat, Wildenrath Wizzer, was launched, manned by Helmsman Clifford Edwards and Crew Members Richard Miller and Roy Harkness. Almost immediately after launching, the Atlantic 21's starboard engine seized, but she was still able tocontinue the service on her port engine, though special caution was needed crossing the bar.

The casualty by now had drifted back out into the bay, having suffered engine failure after being swamped. She had also lost her dinghy and when the lifeboat came alongside her occupants were bailing out. The lifeboat connected a tow and pulled the cabin cruiser further out to sea, away from the worst of the swell near the bar.

Helmsman Edwards realised that it would be some hours before the tide turned and the sea moderated enough over the bar to attempt a tow back to harbour. However, with the risk of the two survivors becoming hypothermic and because he still only had use of one engine, he decided to ask for the station's 47ft Watson class lifeboat, Louisa Anne Hawker, to launch. At 1504 she left her mooring, and on reaching the bar, Acting Coxswain John Pavitt, at the helm, had to pick his moment to cross and even then, the lifeboat lightly touched the bottom in the troughs. The tow was transferred to the larger lifeboat when she arrived at the casualty.

There would be one hour and three quarters to wait, however, before the tide turned and there was enough water over the bar to tow the cabin cruisersafely back into harbour. One of the survivors was beginning to suffer from hypothermia and the acting coxswain asked for a helicopter to stand by to lift him off. The man was unwilling to be taken off, so instead the lifeboat crew took all necessary precautions to keep him and his companion warm.

At 1710 the lifeboat began the tow into harbour accompanied by the Atlantic 21 and without further incident the cabin cruiser was returned safely to her mooring at Braunton.

After this service a letter of appreciation, signed by Cdr Bruce Cairns, chief of operations, was sent to Shore Attendant P. Ford for his prompt initiative in raising the alarm..