Sick seaman saved THE 18,000 TON GREEK tanker Kithnos was heading north of the Humber light vessel at 0418 on January 15,1987 when one of her crew was reported to be suffering from a severe nosebleed, requiring medical treatment.

Humber Coastguard alerted ahelicopter from RAF Leconfield to airlift the seaman at first light (0800), but this had to be aborted at 0818 because of icing up in the sub-zero temperatures and snow showers.

The captain of the Kithnos expressed anxiety at the worsening condition of his crew member and Humber lifeboat City of Bradford IV with Superintendent Coxswain Brian Bevan at the helm, slipped her moorings at 0836 to head for a rendezvous with the tanker 14 miles north east of Spurn Point.

A force 8 gale which had been blowing for three days had prevented the Humber pilots boarding shipping for the previous 48 hours.

Nevertheless, a message from the doctor at Hull Royal Infirmary via Humber Coastguard, indicated that it was a matter of urgency that the seaman be landed for hospital treatment and, if possible, that he be given morphine.

Humber lifeboat was alongside the Kithnos by 0925 and the senior first aider, Second Coxswain Dennis Bailey, volunteered to try to board the vessel by pilot ladder to administer the morphine and supervise the transfer of the seaman in the lifeboat's Neil Robertson stretcher.

This was accomplished despite heavy seas breaking over the tanker's decks and Second Coxswain Bailey and the seaman were both safe aboard the lifeboat by 0954.

It was agreed to head for the shelter of Spurn Bight, where the de-iced RAF helicopter lifted the seaman off and took him to Grimsby General Hospital (where he made a full recovery).

Following this service, a framed letter of thanks from the Duke of Atholl, chairman of the RNLI, was presented to Superintendent Coxswain Brian Bevan, Second Coxswain Dennis Bailey, Mechanic Richard White, Assistant Mechanic Peter Thorpe and Crew Members Jack Essex and David Cape.

A further letter of appreciation for the part he played was sent by the chairman to Second Coxswain Bailey..