Lifeboatman injured AT 05 15 ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1988 Mr Llew Hardy the station honorary secretary of Swanage lifeboat was advised by Portland Coastguard that the MV Renee was in difficulties in heavy seas 10 miles south south west of Anvil Point.

The vessel was reported to be down by the head, experiencing heavy vibration and making little headway in the prevailing conditions.

The SHS agreed to launch the lifeboat and instructed the coxswain to fire maroons. This was done at 0530 andseven minutes later the station's 37ft 6in Rother class lifeboat J Reginald Corah was launched on service.

Weather conditions at the time of the launch were wind south west force 8-9, sea rough and visibility poor, reduced by spume and spray. High water was due at 1100.

The slipway was reasonably sheltered from the full force of the wind, but a heavy swell was sweeping across it. On launching, the lifeboat touched bottom and the swell knocked her bow off to port. Coxswain Victor Marsh was able to regain control immediately and course was set at 0600 Magnetic.

Passage to the casualty was made in very heavy seas with the lifeboat continually shipping water overall. At 0600 the lifeboat was 2.2 miles south east of Anvil Point and course was altered to 240° Magnetic and the Renee identified on radar at a distance of four miles. A VHF/DF fix was taken.

While steaming towards the casualty, the lifeboat fell heavily off a particularly steep sea, causing radar operator David Corben to injure his back. He was replaced by Second Coxswain Christopher Haw.

At 0647 Renee was sighted half a mile away, heading north east at two knots.

Her captain requested Coxswain Marsh to check on his vessel's anchors, bringing her head to sea to enable this to be done. Their position was now approximately three miles south south west of Anvil Point where the south-westerly force 9 wind had created heavy seas and swells from the south west.

The tide was setting 074° True at one knot. Coxswain Marsh manoeuvred the lifeboat and confirmed that the Renee's starboard anchor was secure. The lifeboat was then steamed around the vessel's stern, to check on the port anchor, which was found to have broken from its stowage, with the anchor cable clearly visible from the light of the lifeboat's searchlight, leading aft under great weight. The coxswain thought there was little chance of recovering the anchor under the prevailing conditions and advised the Renee's captain to follow the lifeboat towards Swanage Bay until such time as the anchor held.

At 0722, after covering little more than a mile at two knots, the anchor brought up in a position two miles south south west of Anvil Point. The vessel was laying to her port anchor, heading in a south-westerly direction.

The captain of the MV requested lifeboat assistance to clear the anchor, as none of his crew was prepared to venture out on deck in the conditions.

The Renee was lying bow down with heavy seas continually sweeping over her side decks and shipping spray overall.

The coxswain took the lifeboat along the Renee's starboard side, with Second Coxswain Haw and Crew Member Martin Steeden standing by to make the transfer, but he considered it too rough to complete the manoeuvre successfully.

Instead, he took the lifeboat around the vessel's stern, through very rough, confused seas to run up on the port side.

Second Coxswain Haw and Crew Member Steeden were positioned forward ready to make the transfer. The remaining crew members were also on deck to assist, with the exception of David Corben, who had returned to his seat to operate the radar and radio.

The lifeboat's motion alongside was extremely lively, with a rise and fall estimated at between 10 to 15 feet.

Heavy water was being shipped throughout and the force of the wind blown spray was painful on the faces of the crew.

During the first attempt to manoeuvre alongside the bow was knocked away. On the second attempt the lifeboat's motion was not synchronised with that of the casualty and, because of the danger of the lifeboat landing on the deck of the Renee this attempt was aborted.At the third attempt, Crew Member Steeden managed to clamber aboard, but Second Coxswain Haw was left clinging to the outside of the gunwale.

Coxswain Marsh immediately pulled astern but nevertheless the lifeboat came into contact with Christopher Haw's left leg as he hung perilously over the side of the coaster.

Fortunately the next wave washed him inboard. The side deck was awash to a height of two to three feet and Crew Member Steeden helped his second coxswain to the aft accommodation.

The ship's first mate also came on deck to assist and Haw was placed in the captain's cabin feeling faint and in pain.

Having ascertained that his colleague was being looked after, Steeden and the first mate proceeded to the foc'sle head where he opened the hatchway to the chain locker and located the pin securing the end of the anchor cable.

A scaffold pole was used to slip the anchor cable and Coxswain Marsh then instructed the Renee to follow his course to Swanage Bay. Passage was made at approximately three knots. At 0749 the lifeboat requested an ambulance and doctor to attend to Second Coxswain Haw, but at 0820 Crew Member Airlifted Steeden reported that the injured lifeboatman was in severe pain, very cold and suffering from shock. He recommended that Haw be airlifted to hospital.

On the return passage the wind veered to north westerly force 10. The helicopter Rescue 174 from HMS Daedalus was requested to pick up the injured man and at 0853 he was airlifted from the Renee which was by now anchored in Swanage Bay. The helicopter landed close to Poole Hospital where he later recovered after treatment for severe bruising to his left leg.

Crew Member Steeden was transferred from the Renee to the lifeboat, once the airlift was completed and the lifeboat was rehoused and ready for service at 0912.

Crew Member David Corben suffered a severe jolt to his back which caused temporary pain during this service and all crew members suffered fatigue when the service was complete.

Following this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum has been accorded to Coxswain/Mechanic Victor Marsh and Emergency Mechanic Martin Steeden.

A letter of appreciation signed by the director, Lt Cdr Brian Miles, has been sent to Second Coxswain Christopher Haw, Emergency Mechanic David Corben and Crew Members Anthony Higgins, Nicholas Harris and Michael Marsh.

A letter of appreciation signed by the chief of operations, Captain George Cooper, was sent to the SAR helicopter crew before their squadron was disbanded on April 1, 1988..