Rescue in the surf SILVER MEDAL A CALL CAME THROUGH to Tyne Tees Coastguard at 0101 on the morning of Saturday April 15, 1986, that a disabled fishing vessel, the 60ft La Morlaye, with three men on board, was in danger of going aground just off Tynemouth.

Another fishing boat had been towing her for 27 miles from the fishing grounds where her nets had fouled her propeller but the tow had finally parted in an east-south-easterly gale and La Morlaye was now too far inshore for the tow to be re-connected.

Tynemouth lifeboat's honorary secretary was informed and immediately he agreed to launch asking the coastguard to activate the crew's callout pagers.

Just 12 minutes later Coxswain Captain John Hogg and his six-man crew cast off from the pontoon aboard Tynemouth's 52ft Arun class lifeboat George and Olive Turner and headed down riverfor the harbour entrance.

The casualty, the lifeboat was told, was Vi mile off the beach at Tynemouth with three other fishing vessels on the scene. As the coxswain made full speed for Tyne Piers, the lifeboat crew took advantage of the calm inside the harbour to prepare a tow line and make ready the searchlight. Then, on nearing the entrance, all the crew battened down in the cabin ready for the open sea; only the coxswain remained in the upper conning position.

The wind was an east-south-easterly force 8 gale, it was heavily overcast with good visibility and low water was 30 minutes away. The lifeboat met very heavy confused seas as soon as she was between the piers of the harbour and Coxswain Hogg reduced speed. Outside the harbour he brought the lifeboat's head round to the north and was able to return to full speed.

There was nothing to be seen off Tynemouth beach, however, further up the coast, off Whitley Bay, the Coxswain could see some lights. At 0126 he slowed the lifeboat as he was now near enough to see what was happening. La Morlaye was lying well inside the breaking line of the surf, head north, beam on to the seas and with fishing gear over her starboard side. She was rollingviolently and shipping water in the heavy breaking beam seas and was less than 400 yards off the beach. The three other fishing vessels were standing by but could not get in close enough to help.

Coxswain Hogg began to plan the action he should take: it was nearly low water giving very little tide where the fishing vessel lay. The waves breaking around her, driven by the force 8 gale were some 20 feet high. It was also a very dark night, although visibility was good. To go in along the starboard side of the casualty meant running the risk of fouling the lifeboat's propellers or being rolled on to the trailing fishing gear. An approach on the port side would have been untenable with the beach so close and the danger of the fishing boat rolling on to the lifeboat.

Instead he decided to try to pass a tow line so that he could pull the fishing boat clear of the heavy surf. He told his crew and radioed his plan to La Morlaye's skipper. Then, while he remained in the upper steering position and his mechanic stayed in the cabin working the radio and passing echo soundings to the coxswain, the lifeboat was positioned head to sea. The rest of the crew were on deck training the searchlight and standing by to pass the tow as the lifeboat was worked astern towards the casualty. Seas were breaking over the lifeboat but it was only when her stern was about ten feet away that the line was thrown to the fishing boat and the tow quickly made fast aboard. By now the echo sounder, when it could be read, was showing a depth of barely 8 feet.

The tow began using a short line and La Morlaye was brought round head to sea. The weight was then taken off to lengthen the tow line but while this was being done a very large breaking sea lifted the fishing vessel so high that the line parted with one end whipping backaboard the lifeboat. It struck Crew Member David Lisle, bruising his leg.

The fishing vessel payed off so that she lay once more beam to sea. The coxswain tried again to get a line on board, using the same method. As the lifeboat manoeuvred astern Second Coxswain Martin Kenny prepared to throw the line but as he was about to do so a very large sea forced the lifeboat's bow into the air and he was hurled aft so that he lay horizontally across the stern rails. Somehow he managed to get back inboard.

Coxswain Hogg decided it was too dangerous to try another near approach and so told his crew to try the rocket line. With the lifeboat in the same aspect as before but standing further off a line was fired. It fell across the fishing boat's rigging but while her crew were trying to reach it, the wind blew it from their hands and it was lost. Another line was fired and this one was held and the tow line was quickly passed and secured. The lifeboat began to tow at low revolutions and for a second time the casualty's head came round to sea.

Heavy seas immediately broke over both lifeboat and fishing vessel and as they pitched violently the line parted.

Once more La Morlaye payed off to broadside on to the sea and wind.

Coxswain Hogg realised that it was now impossible to tow her clear; she would soon be hard aground and breaking up and the only way to save her crew was to get alongside, whatever the danger. The coxswain radioed his intentions to the fishing boat and then put the lifeboat head to sea and worked her astern until she was in a position at right angles to the casualty and just to the south of her stern. He then stopped the port engine, went full ahead on starboard and the incoming sea threw the lifeboat alongside the fishing boat.

There was a rise and fall betweeen the two vessels of up to 20 feet but two of the survivors jumped head first on to the lifeboat and the third was hauled aboard by the crew. They shouted to the coxswain that all were aboard and he turned the wheel hard astern, putboth engines full ahead and drove clear.

The time was 0210.

The survivors were kept warm in the cabin and given blankets and a tot of brandy while the lifeboat returned to the Tyne at reduced speed. The lifeboat was back on station at 0227 and the survivors put ashore. Their fishing boat was broken in two pieces and driven up the beach by the next high water and the following tide broke her up completely.

Following this service the silver medal was awarded to Coxswain Captain John Hogg and silver medal service certificates accorded to Second Coxswain Martin Kenny, Motor Mechanic John Watson and Crew Members Trevor Fryer, James Griffiths, David Lisle and John Norris..