Five saved as coaster capsizes in Force 9 gale Coxswain John Catchpole of the Lowestoft lifeboat has been awarded a Bronze medal for bravery following the rescue of five crew men from a coaster in Force 9 winds.

Assistant Mechanic Roger Thompson and crew members Peter Foskett, Barry Jervis, Terence Arlow, David Bernard and Malcolm Horton were awarded medal service certificates for their part in the rescue.Although the service was carried out only five miles from the station the divisional inspector, Mr Tom Nutman reported that it 'was performed with consummate skill and a high level of seamanship'.

First news of the casualty came at 0020 on Wednesday, 19 October 1988, when Yarmouth Coastguard alerted Mr Mike Chapman, the honorary secretary of Lowestoft lifeboat station, that the coaster Medina D was stranded and taking water about fourand- a-half miles north of Lowestoft. Mr Chapman agreed to an immediate launch.

Listing At 0029 the 47ft Tyne Spirit of Lowestoft slipped her moorings and proceeded on service in an ESE Force 8, the sky was heavily overcast with moderate visibility decreasing to poor in the frequent rain squalls. It was three hours before high water.

As the lifeboat cleared Lowestoft Harbour and headed north, she was met by heavyconfused seas.

The coaster reported that she was bumping on the sea bed, listing to starboard and was holed and the Master requested that his four crew be evacuated by lifeboat.

Coxswain Catchpole asked the casualty to fire two parachute flares, show all deck and navigation lights and to transmit on VHP so that the lifeboat's VHP direction finding equipment could be used.

The coxswain and crew left the wheelhouse to man the upper conning position and the casualty was sighted ahead, lying in the south side of the Gorton Channel, facing north with heavy, pounding seas breaking across the decks.She had a 20 degree to 30 degree list to starboard and was very sluggish in the water.

Weather conditions had worsened, with the wind gusting to Force 9 and poor visibility in driving rain and blown spray. The rough seas and heavy swell, funnelled by the channel between the sands, were lifting and breaking heavily across both casualty and lifeboat.

Searchlight With the aid of the lifeboat's searchlight Coxswain Catchpole assessed the situation and decided to approach the casualty in the relative shelter of the port side, despite the fact that the list made this the higher side.

The coxswain made his first approach at 0105, but as the lifeboat neared the casualty a large sea rounded the stern of the stricken vessel and threw the lifeboat off course. The lifeboat cleared to port, circled and made a second attempt. This time she managed to come alongside a pilot ladder aft on the port side and the survivors began to board the lifeboat. As two of them were being helped aboard by the lifeboat crew, a very large sea lifted the casualty and lifeboat and threw them together.

One of the ropes of the ladder broke and a third survivor was thrown to the deck of the lifeboat. Once again the casualty was cleared to port and the lifeboat circled as the three survivors, fortunately unhurt, were housed in the lifeboat's survivors' cabin aft.

Forthe third approach the coxswain brought the lifeboat alongside the main deck amidships, where the final crew member and the master were pulled safely aboard the lifeboat as the breaking seas brought the decks together.The lifeboat finally cleared the casualty at 0112, although the coxswain was concerned that the casualty might present a hazard to shipping. After receiving assurances from Yarmouth Coastguard the lifeboat proceeded at full speed towards Lowestoft, just minutes before the Medina D turned over and sank.

The survivors were landed at Lowestoft at 0140, and a check revealed that the only damage sustained by Spirit of Lowestoft was a small dent on the port side where she had struck the casualty when the ladder parted..