Injured swimmer A SOUTH-WESTERLY NEAR GALE force 7 was blowing on the afternoon of Saturday August 2, 1986, when the honorary secretary of Tenby lifeboat station was told by Milford Haven coastguard that a swimmer off Monkstone Beach was being knocked against outlying rocks and bleeding badly.

A minute later at 1602 the station's 16ft D class inflatable lifeboat, which had been standing by off the slipway, set off for Monkstone Point manned by Helmsman Dennis Young and Crew Member Robert James. The sea was slight at the slipway but there was a moderate south-south-easterly groundswell and in view of this and the wind the station's 46ft 9in Watson class lifeboat Henry Comber Brown was also launched to give support to the D class.

Monkstone Point lay V/i miles to the north north east and while the inflatable lifeboat made best possible speed towards it, a coastguard cliff rescue team arrived at the scene where they could see the swimmer, a 20-year-old man, on the western side of the largest of the rocks between Monkstone Point and Monkstone Rock. The man was clinging to the rock, badly shocked and obviously suffering both from hypothermia and multiple lacerations to the body. He had managed to climb clear of the breaking seas but was being covered with spray and the upsurge from larger breakers.

The seas were eight to ten feet high with a residual groundswell of eight feet. The tide had one hour of flood left and there was a strong undertow caused by back eddies out of Saundersfoot Bay to the north. (The flood tide runs south at about one knot between the rocks at Monkstone Point because of the back eddy effect.) Helmsman Young had been given the casualty's position by the cliff rescue team and now approached the rocks from the south to assess the situation.

He soon realised that in those seas he could not possibly attempt to take the man off with only one crew member.

He therefore went about and headed back to meet Henry Comber Brown, still on her way from the station. Second Coxswain John John and EmergencyMechanic Roy Young volunteered to join the inflatable lifeboat and once they were embarked the D class returned to a position off the rocks.

With Second Coxswain John in charge of the anchor and Robert James and Roy Young detailed to deal with the casualty, Helmsman Young approached the rock and then turned head to sea when he was some 30 feet to the south of it. The anchor was released and the lifeboat veered down astern against the steadying effect of the anchor cable until she reached relative calm in the lee of the rock. Breaking waves which repeatedly filled the lifeboat made the manoeuvre difficult, particularly when three times the anchor warp came out of the bow fairlead. When this happened the lifeboat presented her shoulder rather than her bow to the sea to perilous effect. To reduce the risk John John leaned as far forward as possible while tending the anchor and replaced the warp in the fairlead as quickly as possible on each occasion.

In a comparatively calm patch Helmsman Young tried to bring the lifeboat up against the north east side of the rock but a large sea caught her and again the warp left the fairlead. At the second attempt Crew Member Young leapt into the water while the lifeboat was in a trough at the base of the rock.

As the next swell came in he was lifted up and was able to scramble on to the rock. He found the injured man, examined him and then signalled for further help. Robert James used the same method to get on to the rock and helped to bring the casualty to a position where he could be put aboard the lifeboat.

The D class closed the rock and a survivor's lifejacket was passed to Roy Young who with his fellow crew member had difficulty in putting it on to the swimmer who was unco-operative due to shock and hypothermia. Neither was he willing to leave the rock for the lifeboat which was pitching heavily in the sea and swell but the two lifeboatmen eventually positioned themselves with the casualty between them and as the helmsman brought the lifeboat alongside, they jumped, taking the swimmer with them.

Clear of the rock. Helmsman Young headed seaward while Second Coxswain John hauled in the anchor. The man was wrapped in a survivor's sheet and protected by the crew members as much as possible from wind, sea and the pounding of the lifeboat. While the inflatable had been standing by to take the man off the rock the anchor warp had twice more left the fairlead and alarge piece of trawl net that could be seen surging in and out of the gap where the lifeboat lay complicated manoeuvring still further.

Once out of the relative calm and into the surf progress became extremely hazardous and the inflatable lifeboat shipped a lot of water. Helmsman Young used much skill in keeping bow on to the seas and his crew supported him by keeping their weight well forward and warned of approaching seas, rocks and debris.

Henry Comber Brown was lying hove to outside the surf line and it was decided to put the survivor aboard the larger lifeboat to give him more warmth and comfort. The D class was placed along the leeside of the Watson class and the man transferred. The two lifeboats then headed back to Tenby Harbour in company so that Coxswain William Thomas at the helm of Henry Comber Brown could keep an eye on the inflatable's progress. By 1700 the injured man was safely ashore and aboard an ambulance bound for Tenby Cottage Hospital.

In praising the bravery and seamanship of the inflatable's helmsman and his crew, the coastguard sector officer of the cliff rescue team who had witnessed the entire incident said he had not expected the lifeboat to be able to carry out the rescue and any attempt by his own team would only have resulted in injury to one of them.

Following this service the thanks of the Institution on vellum was presented to Helmsman Dennis Young, Second Coxswain John John and Crew Members Robert James and Roy Young..