Injured climber HOLYHEAD COASTGUARD received WOrd on the evening of Saturday August 17, 1985, that a climber had fallen and was injured on the Go-Garth cliffs, four miles west of Holyhead. Maroons were fired and at 2130 Holyhead's 44ft Waveney class lifeboat, Faithful Forester, slipped her mooring and headed out to sea with Coxswain William Jones at the helm. She was escorting the station's 16ft D class inflatable lifeboat which, in spite of the darkness, the deputy launching authority had decided to launch because of the nature of the casualty.

The inflatable lifeboat was manned by Helmsman Peter Murphy and CrewMembers Iwan Williams and Windsor Lauden. The two lifeboats arrived at Go-Garth bay at 2150; the weather was showery with a gentle to moderate south-westerly breeze, force 3 to 4, and a slight sea.

The casualty, a man in his thirties, had broken his ankle and was suspended 150 feet below an overhang at a particularly treacherous part of the cliff, known as Wen Slab. The coastguard cliff rescue team were in the process of lowering the man down the cliff face when the lifeboats arrived.

Although the lifeboat crews were able to illuminate the cliff bottom with a parachute flare and searchlights, numerous rocks, many of them submerged, lay between the lifeboats and the shore. Slowly the D class inflatable moved towards the position below which the man was being lowered. Crew Member Windsor Lauden guided his helmsman to within 10 feet of the cliff face at which point the engine was cut and the lifeboat manhandled the rest of the way by her crew.

They were now in a very dark gully with steep cliffs on either side. The injured man and cliff rescuers were hanging about 20 feet in mid-air above their heads. Their radio had failed, so Crew Member Iwan Williams had to communicate with the coastguards at the top of the cliff so that the casualty could be guided towards the lifeboat.

This was not easy to do but eventually, as Helmsman Peter Murphy held the lifeboat in position, Windsor Lauden guided the man and one of his rescuers into the lifeboat.

The ropes were then cut and the lifeboat driven clear of the cliff face.

The helmsman maintained a slow speed to avoid any unnecessary movement to the broken ankle. When they were clear of the rocks the injured man was put aboard the waiting Faithful Forester.

The D class then returned to the cliff bottom to take aboard two remaining cliff rescuers and their equipment.

Using the manoeuvrability of the inflatable lifeboat and the oars they were able each time to avoid the rocks and make a clean run to and from the cliff face. The cliff rescue climbers weretransferred to the larger lifeboat and then both boats headed back to station in company.

An ambulance took the injured man to hospital on arrival at Holyhead and the D class inflatable was re-housed, ready again for service at 2315.

Following this service a letter signed by Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, director, was sent to the honorary secretary of Holyhead lifeboat station expressing appreciative thanks to Helmsman Peter Murphy and Crew Members Iwan Williams and Windsor Lauden..