Stranded swimmer R LIFEBOAT CREW were paged at 1428 on Saturday, August 8. 1987, following a report of a man having been cut off by the tide below Hunt Cliff, Saltburn.

The station's Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat Wildenratli Wizzer launched six minutes later, followed in another five minutes by the D class inflatable lifeboat D 237, on temporary station duty at Redcar.

The swimmer — an American visitor — was located by the Atlantic 21 at approximately 145(1. He was standing on a fall of shale, clear of the water and about 30ft wide, at the base of the 25()ft cliffs.

At the scene, 10ft swells were breaking against the cliffs and for some distance offshore.

Wildenratlt Wizzer attempted to veer down to the casualty, but could not find a hold for the anchor and after three attempts had to abort. D 237 arrived and, with a line to the Atlantic 21 also attempted to veer down, but without success.

The Atlantic 21 then approached as near to the casualty as possible, enabling Crew Member Anthony O'Donnell to enter the water and, with a line, swim to the base of the cliff.

The lifeboat was rearing in the heavy swell, however and the line was lost.

The D class, which had been standing by. transferred Crew Member Ernest Bennett to Wildcnrath Wizzcr and a further attempt was made to send a line ashore, using Bennett as the swimmer.

The heavy swell and side sweep of the tide carried the line to leeward where it became foul of some underwater obstruction.

There was a growing danger of Bennett, who was by this time also on the shale, being dragged into the water towards the obstruction and so he was forced to let go of the line.

At this juncture the D class was driven ashore on to the shale in a heavy breaking swell. The boat was turned head to sea and, with the American swimmer on board, was held by three crew members while 1 lelmsman Steve Morris attempted to re-start the engine.

This attempt failed and the boat was torn from the grasp of the three crewmen in the water by the weight of three much larger swells. Helmsman Morris was thrown against the engine and sustained a deep cut below the left eye.

Both he and the casualty had to leave the boat quickly as she was being swept from the shale and was about to be dashed against the base of the cliffs.

It was now 1514 and this last incident was observed from the top of the cliffs by coastguards who asked for assistance from a Sea King helicopter from RAI Boulmer. The helicopter arrived at 1005 and winched the four crew members and the swimmer on board, transferring them to the Atlantic 21 lifeboat.Helmsman Peter Hodge then transferred the casualty to Teesmouth's 47ft Tyne class lifeboat Phil Mead, which had arrived to offer any possible assistance.

Wildenrath Wizzer then returned to station and was beached at 1642.

The D class could not be recovered until the tide had ebbed considerably.

By 1910, with the welcome help of Redcar Beach Patrol, who helped with a four-wheel-drive vehicle, the crew were able to return D 237 to her trolley.

The engine suffered considerable damage, as did the VHF radio. Various items of equipment were missing but the hull, which was still inflated, seemed to have survived its battering remarkably well.

Following this service, a letter of commendation, signed by the then director of the RNLI, Rear Admiral W J Graham, was sent to the station, commenting that the entire operation was carried out in an cxemplarv manner bv crervone concerned . . . adding that the fate which befell the D class in no way reflected upon anyone involved in the service..