Cliff rescue and yacht crew landed in one serviceThe ability of the Institution's inflatable lifeboats to work close inshore was well illustrated by a service carried out by Exmouth's D class on 13 August 1988 - a service which also led to the helmsman, John Walpole, receiving a letter of appreciation from the chief of operations after he had scaled a cliff to rescue a stranded boy.

Brixham coastguard reported a '999' call from the public at 1530, asking for the inflatable to be launched to search for a woman and three children cut off by the tide between Budleigh Salterton and Sandy Bay.

Bravery The D class launched at 1534 and by 1555 had located the casualties and was standing by. Helmsman Walpole had been landed from the lifeboat in an onshore Force 4 wind and showed extreme bravery in climbing some 170ft to 180ft up the cliff to reach one of the children, a boy, who was very distressed, sobbing uncontrollably and in danger of falling.

Helmsman Walpole was able to re-assure the child and then bring him safely back to the beach, the remainder of the family, some 20ft above the boy, being recovered by the coastguard rescue team.

The day was not over for the crew of the inflatable for, at 1620, while still at the cliff rescue, they were alerted to a yacht firing red flares two miles to the east of Dawlish.

On reaching the yacht at 1645 they discovered it without sails, out of fuel and with one of the two crew aboard suffering from seasickness in the seas kicked up by the southerly Force 5 to 6 wind.

The D class called for the station's Brede class Caroline Finch to tow the yacht and remaining crew to safety while the inflatable took the i 11 casualty ashore to Exmouth Docks, arriving there at 1709..