TANKER FIRE VISIBLE FROM FIVE MILES AWAY Sixteen seamen taken off blazing oil tanker The collision which involved a tanker off the Humber estuary on 17 September 1989, and the subsequent fire, made front-page news throughout the country, and the actions of the Humber lifeboat crew in taking off many of the Filipino crew of the Liberian-registered vessel has earned them a letter of thanks from the Philippine Ambassador in the UK. Writing to Brian Bevan, the Superintendent Coxswain at Humber lifeboat station, on behalf of his government, the Filipino people and the crew and their families he said: 'May I express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to you and your members for the brave and courageous rescue.' The collision, which caused a major pollution alert, began at 0450 when Humber Coastguard informed the Superintendent Coxswain of Humber lifeboat that there had been a collision and subsequent Mayday broadcast from the Fiona, a 28,709 ton Maltese-registered bulk carrier, anchored near the Humber Light Buoy some 10 miles east of Spurn Point.

Fire The vessel had a fire on board, was unable to identify the other vessel involved in the collision and required immediate assistance.

The lifeboat crew were immediately summoned and the Arun class lifeboat Kenneth The/wall slipped her moorings at 0500 to proceed.

While on passage it was learned that the other vessel involved was the Phillips Oklahoma which was on fire with 25 crew on board.

Helicopters and other ships in the area were on their way to the scene, and four minesweepers were also close at hand. One of them spotted and recovered one man from the water on the way to the burning tanker.

The man, recovered safe and well, had been knocked overboard from the Fiona and was the only man unaccounted for.

Such was the intensity of the fire that while still five miles from the casualty, and in continuous moderate rain, the fire on the Phillips Oklahoma could be seen lighting up the surrounding sea.

At 0537 the lifeboat arrived on scene to find the Phillips Oklahoma burning fiercely from a ruptured tank on the starboard side with all of her starboard side accommoda-lion and bridge engulfed in flames and dense black smoke. The master of the Phillips Oklahoma was conducting his operations from a small secondary wheelhouse in the bows of the ship. Oil escaping from the tanker was blazing on the water for up to half a mile down-tide of the ship.

The master of the Fiona informed the Coastguard that the fire in the fore part of his ship had now been extinguished but there was considerable damage to her bows.

The minesweeper HMS Middleton was at the scene when the Arun arrived but could not get too close to the casualty as she was carrying explosives. Some men could be seen fighting the fire with hoses on the port after deck but the majority of the crew were assembled amidships in lifejackets. Three pilot ladders had been rigged on the port side ready for evacuation. The rig supply vessel Sterling Tern was the first vessel to arrive with fire fighting cannons and closed in on the starboard side to train her two monitors on the fire. As the fire was getting worse, with constant eruptions of balls of fire, the master of the casualty agreed to evacuate all non-essential personnel, requesting that 16 crew members be taken off.

Kenneth The/wall closed into a ladder on the port side of the casualty and by 0635 had safely taken off 16 of the crew, leaving nine people on board.

Helicopters were on the scene by now, along with several ships that had responded to the Mayday, and three fire-fighting tugs were on the way.

At 0715 the lifeboat transferred the 16 survivors to the car transporter Autobahn close by, for warm drinks and food, and continued to stand by the casualty in case of further need. Four fire teams from Immingham were on board by now, being brought on two fire-fighting tugs Lady Susan and Lady Stephanie, and a second rig supply vessel. Sterling Esk, was also on the scene fighting the fire.

At 0945, with the fire now out and the fire teams damping down and checking round, the lifeboat was released from standing by and picked up the 16 survivors from the Autobahn to transfer them ashore into the care of the ship's agents and representatives of the Mission to Seamen.

At 0949 the 16 crew were back on the lifeboat and she returned to Grimsby, landing them at the Royal Dock Basin in Grimsby at 1113.

Kenneth Thelwall arrived back at her station at 1143 and was remoored and ready for service at 1224. Lifeboat crew help in dinghy tragedy Arranmore Ireland Division Arranmore lifeboat station has received a letter congratulating everyone involved for their conduct in a tragic incident on 29 July 1989 in which four young people lost their lives. The crew was involved throughout a week of searching for the victims.

The Tyne class lifeboat William Luckin had launched at 0235 after one man from a party of six (4 men and 2 women) who had been aboard a small dinghy had swum ashore to raise the alarm that the other five were missing.

The man called at the home of Mrs Mary Conlon who immediately rang her brother, the station's mechanic. She also telephoned other crew members so that the boarding craft was afloat within 15 minutes of the alarm being raised.

On their way to board the lifeboat the crew heard someone shouting in the water, and picked up a girl from the missing dinghy.

They brought her ashore to Mrs Conlon's house where both survivors were looked after.

The lifeboat crew then boarded William Luckin and illuminated the whole search area, accompanied by small local boats.

A thorough search was carried out all through the night, and the next day, until it became apparent that divers would be required.

The crew also manned the boarding boat to search shallow areas.

At about 0500 a local . oat recovered the missing dinghy in a damaged condition about one-and-a-half miles from where the accident occurred, and at 0700 the Naval Service vessel L E Orla arrived and provided divers for a short period before going back to their ship. In all 56 divers from the Garda and from other voluntary diving clubs arrived.

The search continued until the last body was recovered on 5 August 1989, and as it was necessary to have a boat on scene during the time the divers were under the water the lifeboat crew manned the boarding boat on a voluntary basis all through the week.

The whole operation received widespread publicity and the parents of those lost and rescued later wrote letters of appreciation to the station and to the newspapers, as indeed did the British Ambassador, Sir Nicholas Fenn. THREE CALLS IN FORCE 6 WIND AND 20FT SEAS Arun at sea for 14 hours on three services to yachts in trouble Weymouth's Arun class lifeboat Tony Vandervell was at sea for almost 14 hours in one 25-hour period when she received three separate calls from yachts in trouble on 9 September 1989.

After the hectic 25 hours Barney Morris, the honorary secretary, asked Coxswain/Mechanic Derek Sergeant never again to say 'It's been a quiet summer due to the good weather'! The three calls and the efficient way in which they were handled earned the station a letter of appreciation from the RNLI's chief of operations.

The first of the calls came when Portland Coastguard called the station at 0140 with news of a yacht, Tradewind, some 26 miles SE of the station with engine and steering failure in the Force 6 NE wind and requesting assistance.

Injury The lifeboat slipped her mooring at 0155 and on the passage to the casualty learned that one of the two crew had been thrown across the cockpit and suffered a neck injury.

The passage took an hour and 40 minutes and on arrival at the scene the yacht was found to be almost uncontrollable in a Force 7 NE wind and a sea state of 6 (up to 20ft).

Two crew members were put aboard her with great difficulty, and not before the lifeboat had sustained some superficial damage to her starboard quarter.

The injured crew member was made comfortable, a tow line passed and the lifeboat started the long tow back. Although she had reached the casualty at 0335 it was not until 0830 that the lifeboat was back on station after securing the yacht in Weymouth harbour.

The man and woman erew of the yacht were taken to hospital and later discharged after treatment.

Just two-and-a-half hours later the station received another call from Portland Coastguard. Another yacht, Ariba, was in trouble in much the same direction, but this time some 13 miles from the station. The wind was still NE Force 6 and her crew were exhausted and had requested lifeboat assistance.

Leaving her mooring at 1108 Tony Vandervell was with the yacht by 1202. The wind had moderated slightly to NE Force 6 but the sea had not abated. Once again a crew member and line were put aboard and the lifeboat towed the yacht back into Weymouth with the two survivors still aboard.

By 1430 the lifeboat was back on her mooring and, having been on service for some 10 hours of the day, could reasonably have expected a respite.

The respite was relatively short. At 2235 Portland Coastguard called the station once again. A third yacht was in trouble, this time 12 miles SW of the station, off Portland Bill.

The casualty was Title Boxer and her twoman crew were having trouble with her sails and engine. Leaving her mooring at 2245 the Arun reached the casualty at 2340 and yet again secured a tow line in the NE Force 6 wind with a sea still running at up to 20ft.

The two survivors remained aboard and were provided with hot drinks by the lifeboat crew during the tow back to Weymouth, which was directly upwind this time, and it was not until 0230 the following morning that the lifeboat was back on her mooring with the latest casualty also alongside in Weymouth harbour.

Ten minutes later she was ready for service again, but this time the respite was a little longer. LIFEBOAT TAKES OFF COASTER CREW IN HEAVY SWELL Lifeboat on passage saves eight Lytham St Annes and Hoy lake West Division The Tyne class lifeboat Voluntary Worker, on evaluation trials at Lytham St Annes, was three-and-a-half hours into a passage from her home station to Holyhead for repairs when, at 0630, Liverpool Coastguard asked her to divert to a small coaster on fire some 15 miles from her position.

The casualty, Nanna, was located by radar at anchor and the lifeboat closed with her.

Although the wind was only Force 5 from the WSW a heavy residual swell from the previous night's gales was running and the vessel was pitching and rolling heavily. A request was made to take off the crew of eight, who were standing on the deck cargo to escape the fire, and the lifeboat came alongside three times to pick up the seamen.

In the heavy swell some damage was sustained to the lifeboat's stanchions and as one survivor made to step aboard a particularly large wave began to push Voluntary Worker's bow away and the coxswain had to use full power to regain position, resuling in heavy contact and slight damage.

Hoylake's Rother class lifeboat Mary Gabriel had also been launched at 0740 to relieve the Lytham lifeboat. However, when it became obvious that the Tyne would not have time to continue her passage to Holyhead Voluntary Worker met an approaching fire tug and transferred the Captain and Mate to her for discussions before going on to land the eight survivors at Liverpool. She then returned to her station at 1300.

Mary Gabriel meanwhile stood by Nanna while a team of firemen and tugs extinquished the fire aboard the coaster.

She was finally stood-down at 1450 and did not reach her home station until 1700, after more than nine hours at sea. Swimmer saved by lifeboat crew A short but dramatic rescue in which three members of Hastings lifeboat station (one of them the coxswain of the station's Mersey class lifeboat) went into the water to save a young man in danger of being swept out to sea have earned the three men, and the helmsman of the station's D class inflatable which subsequently picked him up, the congratulations of the RNLI's chief of operations. At 1223 on Tuesday 27 June a lifeboat shore helper saw a youth in difficulties approximately 75 yards from the shore inside the harbour arm. He had been swimming with a friend and had apparently become stuck in a mud hole.

It was a little after low water and at this state of tide the gently shelving beach was of soft mud.

He raised the alarm and crew members John Martin and David Curtis, who were close at hand, put on their drysuits.

The weather was fine and clear with a SW Force 5 to 6 wind, and although the harbour wall afforded some protection a 3ft to 4ft swell was sweeping into the harbour.

It was evident that the youth was in danger of being swept to seaward and John Martin entered the water and made his way towards the youth. John Martin carried his lifejacket, intending to use it to float the casualty out of the mud hole, but when he reached him the youth was already clear but could not manage to swim ashore. John Martin tried unsuccessfully to put the lifejacket on the youth and the pair were unable to make any progress.

Crew member David Curtis, wearing his lifejacket, arrived on the scene and helped support the youth while trying to make the shore.

Meanwhile Frederick White, coxswain of Hastings lifeboat, who had seen the difficulties, waded into the water dressed in his everyday clothes and tried to throw a line to the three men. John Martin swam to recover the seaward end of the line and Coxswain White was able to hold firm at the other, although gaining a foothold was difficult due to the depth of water and the swell.

At 1227 the D class lifeboat was launched, single-handed because of the urgency of service, with Helmsman Christopher Cooper on board. The casualties were by now inside the harbour arm and 50 yards off the shoreline.

The youth was helped out of the water by Helmsman Cooper; crew members Martin and Curtis then boarded the inflatable, and Coxswain White was helped ashore as the lifeboat returned to the beach at 1231.

The youth was examined by the station's honorary medical adviser and treated for shock. Long distance launch...

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston's two lifeboats were launched on Saturday 16 September - from Ramsgate! Neal Duffield, the honorary secretary for Great Yarmouth, was in Ramsgate to sail a yacht home (onewhich had, incidentally, been towed into the port by Ramsgate lifeboat) and was enjoying a meal in a harbourside restaurant when his portable telephone rang...

Flares had been sighted off the Norfolk coast and Neal gave the goahead for both the station's lifeboats to be launched.

'Normally I'm very close to the station,' he said later, 'it was the first time I have ever launched the boats from such a distance!' The search, which also involved the Lowestoft lifeboat, found nothing - and the yacht was succesfully sailed back to Great Yarmouth. WINDS OUSTING TO FORCE TEN, 100 YARDS VISBILITY IN HEAVY RAIN AND THE LIFEBOAT FULL OF WATER… D class lifeboat rescues 36 people from canoes, yacht and rafts Cleethorpes' D class inflatable liferaft was involved in three services on one day on 30 July 1989, rescuing no less than 36 people. The first service started as the crew were checking the lifeboat prior to an exercise. Humber coastguard was heard on the VHP radio, asking Humber lifeboat to check the river for five canoeists en route from Grimsby to Spurn Point. Some minutes later the lifeboat was tasked to a yacht reported sinking, so the crew members informed the honorary secretary of the situation as the weather was deteriorating and they were concerned for the safety of the canoeists.

The honorary secretary immediately agreed to launch the lifeboat and as the boat was being towed across the beach Humber Coastguard, informed of the launch, reported the canoeists to be rafted together and believed to be in the Clee Ness area.

The lifeboat launched at 1023 into rough seas and rapidly deteriorating conditions.

Making best speed down to the area of the casualties they encountered a wind now up to gale force, heavy rain reducing the visibility to some 100 yards and confused seas 8ft to 10ft high.

Squall The lifeboat reached the search area at the worst of the squall, with the wind estimated at Force 10, and, with the D class constantly full of water, she began to search. There was no sign of the canoes but the lifeboat was in touch with them by radio and asked them to fire a flare - which was spotted some 200 yards downwind.

The casualties were at last spotted at 1042, at only 60 yards range, rafted together with one capsized and its occupant in the water.

All five people were taken aboard and with eight people now on board and the lifeboat still full of water progress was slow.

Humber Coastguard responded by asking the Pilot launch Neptune to assist and after three attempts the D class was able to transfer the casualties to the launch to be taken ashore at Grimsby docks.

The lifeboat returned to the canoes and towed them to Cleethorpes beach where they were recovered by the station's launchers at 1125.

Dragging There was no time to go ashore though, as Humber CG immediately requested the lifeboat to go to Spurn Point, where a yacht with a broken mast was dragging its anchor.

Leaving Cleethorpes beach at 1125 the lifeboat arrived at Spurn Bight at 1153 to find the yacht aground in moderate surf kicked up by a Force 6 wind and the Pilot launch Fox standing by.

Two minutes later the D class was alongside - touching the bottom in the troughs - and found the two occupants to be safe.

She was able to secure a tow line and by 1205 had begun the slow process of taking the yacht to Grimsby, arriving there oneand- a-half hours later.

With the yacht and her two crew safely in harbour the lifeboat made the passage back to Cleethorpes by 1405 and was ready for service again fifteen minutes later.

However the lifeboat was to be called on yet again that day, for at 1515 she launched again to stand by a charity raft race.

The weather conditions deteriorated sharply just over half-an-hour into the race, when the wind picked up from Force 4 to a squally Force 6 to 7 from the NNW.

Other boats escorting the rafts returned to the beach leaving the D class to cover 18 rafts, each with 4 to 6 people aboard.

The helmsman decided to take up position at the Haile Sand Fort, where the rafts would be turning into the worst of the weather.

The first two rounded at 1620 and made fair progress towards the finish but the third was swamped, throwing its four occupants into the water. They were recovered, but the lifeboat radioed Humber CG that more lifeboats or rescue craft would be needed as the situation was becoming very bad.

The CG alerted other vessels, including the fishing vessel Eva ere wed by other RNLI personnel.

Hypothermia Returning to the beach with the first four casualties the lifeboat found another overturned raft with four people, none with lifejackets, clinging to it. Two were showing signs of hypothermia and an ambulance was requested to meet the lifeboat at Humber Mouth Yacht Club, where all eight survivors were landed.

Returning to the casualty area the D class found another raft with four more people in the water. Three were taken aboard, but the fourth was in a bad way and one of the crew members had to enter the water to help him.

Other vessels had now arrived on the scene and when returning from landing the survivors the lifeboat found Eva picking up more casualties and indicating another casualty to the north. Three more people were recovered, only one of whom was wearing a lifejacket, and taken ashore.

Ebb The next trip resulted in a raft with eight people on board, making no headway against the ebb, being towed to the beach and on the following one another raft with six people aboard was also towed ashore.

At 1750 Cleethorpes coastguard reported everyone safely ashore, but the lifeboat could not join them yet. For the next hour she searched the area with two boats from a local diving club and towed two more abandoned and drifting rafts ashore.

At 1845 she was finally able to return to the beach and at 1910 was ready for service again after her hectic day. Ten hour service to burning coaster Yarmouth South East Division The coxswain and crew of Yarmouth's Arun class lifeboat John and Joy Wade have received a letter of thanks from the Director of the RNLI for their part in a 10-hour service to a West Indian-registered coaster which caught fire some six miles to the SSW of the Needles Fairway buoy on the night of 12/13 August 1989.

At 2319 the Coastguard reported that red flares had been spotted and the lifeboat launched immediately to investigate, leaving her moorings at 2330.

Although the flares were initially thought to be some 20 miles away information soon came through from a number of yachts which were in the vicinity and it was established that the flares had been launched by the coasterLlanishen which was 6.5 miles SSW of the Needles Fairway buoy. No fire-fighting activity was visible and the crew were assembled on the fo'c'sle.

The coastguard requested all vessels to keep clear pending the arrival of the lifeboat and a helicopter which had also been scrambled. Before the lifeboat reached the scene a little over half-an-hour after launching a large explosion shook the casualty and fire enveloped the whole of the aft end of the ship - including the bridge.

The helicopter reached the vessel 14 min- utes ahead of the Arun and lifted the fiveman crew to safety - leaving the vessf! unmanned, drifting and ablaze. Plans were made to bring a fire-fighting team to the casualty and to arrarlge for a tug, but in the meantime the lifeboat was asked to stand by.

Having established that the vessels cargo was inert (raw materials for the manufacture of fire bricks) the coxswain decided to put a line aboard the casualty and tow her to the north, both to keep her head-to-wind and also to shorten the distance to the tug.

Despite hopes that the tug would be despatched with the minimum of delay it was nearly four hours before it reached the 464-ton casualty, by which time the 52ft Arun had managed to tow her to within three miles of the Fairway Buoy.

The fire crew were put aboard and soon requested a pump to remove the water which was being used on the fire. No pump had been brought by the tug, so the coxswain agreed to transfer the lifeboat's pump with a crew member in charge.

The tug took over the tow but as the casualties rudder was first jammed hard to port and then hard to starboard progress was difficult and slow.

Joy and John Wade continued to render help as the tow continued, and only when off Yarmouth when the fire was considered to be out did she recover her crew man and pump and return to station.

She arrived at 0927 and was re-fuelled and ready for service again an hour later. Three rescued in strong winds and poor visibility The RNLI's chief of operations has congratulated the crew of Holyhead's Tyne class lifeboat St Cybi II following a service to the 52ft yacht Espaniola.

In his letter he complimented the crew for the way in which the service 'was made to look routine' by the professional and efficient performance of their duties despite the unpleasant conditions. The Coastguard alerted the honorary secretary to the yacht's plight at 1010 on 30 August 1989, when she was some 15 miles NNW of the station with engine failure and damage to her sails.

The wind was SW Force 7 with a swell running at 6m, heavy rain and visibility down to as little as a quarter of a mile.

Despite the very poor conditions the lifeboat was able to locate the yacht promptly by using her VHF radio direction finder and radar and was alongside her by 1140.

St Cybi II took her in tow with the three crew aboard and began a three-hour tow back to the safety of Holyhead, making the casualty fast to a mooring there at 1445 be-fore returning to station at 1455. She was refuelled and ready for service again just 15 minutes later.

A simple report of a well executed rescue can often obscure the skill and dedication of the crews in poor weather, indeed in his report of this service the station honorary secretary added: 'This was an excellent service carried out in very trying conditions. The fact that it was carried out in such an efficient manner does not detract from, or depreciate the value of the service.'.