LOUGH SWILLY BACKS-UP RIGID INFLATABLE Lou (ill Swilly Ireland Division Photographers save fishermen in Gale A rescue carried out by the crew of a rigid inflatable in Gale force conditions on 16 April 1991 has earned its two-man crew awards from the RNLI. The owner of the boat, Rick Tomlinson (a former crew member of Port St Mary lifeboat), has been awarded the Institution's Bronze medal and his crew Nick Keig (an experienced yachtsman and president of Peel lifeboat station) the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum.

Peter Bradley, divisional inspector of lifeboats for Ireland, wrote in his official report on the service: 'Given the sea conditions, duration of service, proximity of casualty to shore and their limited search and rescue experience, Mr Tomlinson and Mr Keig displayed courage, skill and determination in reaching the casualty and in pursuing their objective until safe haven was reached.' Publicity shots The two men were out in the 17ft Delta class rigid inflatable Vulture taking publicity shots of Lough Swilly's D class inflatable when Malin Radio relayed a message to the lifeboat that a small fishing vessel, the 30ft Ross Revenge, had suffered machinery failure in severe weather at the entrance to the Lough.

The call was acknowledged by Lough Swilly lifeboat at 1115 and both boats set off in the direction of the reported casualty. The wind was Force 6 from the NE, gusting to Force 7- 8 and creating 3ft to 4ft waves in the Lough.

The boats arrived at Dunree Head, marking the end of sheltered water, on the Lough's eastern side at 1130. Reaching the casualty's reported position on the other shore involved crossing the Lough's exposed entrance.

Radio contact With the wind now Force 7 to 8 and with 15ft to 20ft seas running it was obvious that conditions were well outside the operational limits of the D class. She returned to the lee of the headland and the larger rigid inflatable carried on alone in constant radio contact with the station for local navigational advice and updates on the casualty's position, now established as inside the Swilly Beg rock.

The Swilly Beg rock is just off the western side of the Lough's entrance, and the whole area was a lee shore in Gale force winds and seas of over 15ft. Ross Revenge was inside the rock and just 20ft from the cliff face below Pollet Head as Vulture arrived at 1150. Stemming the seas Vulture's crew passed a tow line which was made fast by the two people aboard Ross Revenge. With the tow secure Vulture took the weight on the line and, _ manoeuvring ahead of the casualty, pulled Ross Revenge clear of the rocks.

Turning south east. Vulture took the casualty slowly through the narrow passage between the Swilly Beg rock and another off-lying rock close to the shore. Once clear, the full force of the sea made it extremely difficult for her to hold a steady course with the Gale force winds and heavy seas now on the port quarter.

Doubling the length of the tow line to some 80ft eased the situation and Vulture and the towed casualty headed south towards Port Salon, some three miles away on the same shore but offering some shelter in the prevailing conditions. Once in port, where they arrived at 1145, the crew of Ross Revenge were able to restart their engine and bail her out within 30 minutes, enabling them to put to sea again - escorted by Vulture.

Escort The Lough Swilly lifeboat had returned to the vicinity of her station on the eastern shore at Buncrana, but crossed again to meet Ross Revenge and Vulture off Macamish Point, some five miles south of Port Salon, escorting them to the safety of Rathmullen. The inshore lifeboat then crossed the Lough once more, transferring the survivors to the lifeboat station at Buncrana.

Lough Swilly D class lifeboat crew (Peter Barnett, Mark Barnett and Mark Porter) have been sent letters from the Director of the RNLI complimenting them on their determination and prudence in their part of the rescue.

CREWMAN SWIMS 30FT TO SAVE MAN OVERBOARD Hastings South East Division Prompt action saves life of lone yachtsman The rescue of a lone yachtsman from seas off Hastings has earned assistant mechanic David Curtis the Thanks of the RNLI Inscribed on Vellum.

In his official report, deputy divisional inspector of lifeboats for the south east, Colin Williams, paid tribute to Curtis for his 'prompt action in entering the water and his endurance throughout the service', The service, lasting over three hours, began at 1608 on 9 March, when the 33ft ketch Ngalawa located near Hastings Pier with one person aboard, reported an engine fire. At 1620, with a SW Force 4 to 5 wind and a moderate to rough sea and swell, Hastings' Mersey class lifeboat Sealink Endeavour was launched with coxswain Fred White at the helm.

When the crew arrived at the casualty five minutes later, no crew or signs of fire were visible.

As the lifeboat was manoeuvred to the casualty's stern, however, a man was spotted in the sea, clinging to the painter of the yacht's tender and calling faintly for help. Due to the motion of the two vessels, coxswain White could not come in close to the man for fear of crushing him.

Volunteer Assistant mechanic Curtis volunteered to swim 30ft with a line to the survivor, who was by now weak with hypothermia. As Curtis held him afloat they were both hauled back to the lifeboat.

To stop the abandoned ketch drifting onto the pier, coxswain White towed her clear before landing the survivor.

Curtis clambered aboard the yacht, attached a line and the casualty was towed away from danger.

While ambulancemen on the beach took over care of the survivor, Curtis remained aboard the casualty, keeping warm by changing into dry clothes he found in the yacht's cabin.

As the lifeboat returned to collect him, its port engine overheated and had to be shut down, forcing coxswain White to continue on one engine. The tow was recommenced using just the power of the starboard engine.

Ready for service At 1835, Newhaven lifeboat took over the tow and running repairs made the Hastings lifeboat's port engine serviceable again. Following an examination by the RNLI south east machinery examiner the lifeboat was declared ready for service again at 2110.

Thanks For the calm manner in which he dealt with problems which arose during the serv ice, coxswain Fred White is to be presented with a framed Letter of Thanks, signed by the RNLI Chairman.

For their part in the rescue, second coxswain Charles Sharrod, mechanic Steve Martin and crew members Michael Barrow, Christopher Cooper, Barry Maslen and John Martin are to receive Vellum service certificates.

Stranded! Kiley's I) class inshore and allweather lifeboats were called to t he rescue of I 'iclima and Michael.

a 25ft llshiiii; essel aground on rocks at Chimney Hole some two miles of the station on 9 August.

Carrying the relief Mersey Lifetime Care's mooring rope and two fisherman-type anchors, the I) class ap- proached the stranded essel : o er the shal- lower water to attach a line.

Uith the all- wrallii-r boat : Hailing at the entrance to the channel, the vessel »as refloated with the turn of the tide and subse- quently es- on t i i l back to FBev.

Photo: Andrew Higgins.

Yorkshire Regional Newspapers EIGHT-HOUR SERVICE FOR TYNE Wick Scotland North Division Passenger ferry loses steering in storm Following an eight-hour night service to a passenger ferry in storm force winds and 35ft seas - said to be the worst conditions seen in the area for several years and causing the local harbour to be closed - coxswain Walter McPhee of Wick lifeboat has been awarded the Thanks of the RNLI Inscribed on Vellum for his high standard of leadership and seamanship.

Second coxswain James Begg, mechanic John Martin, assistant mechanic Alexander Durrand and crew members Ian Cormack, Mark Cormack, William Simpson, Harry Hourston and Donald Rosie have been awarded Vellum service certificates.

At 0008 on Tuesday 5 March 1991 Wick's deputy launching authority was alerted that the P&O ferry St Rognvald with 19 people on board had suffered storm damage and was without compass or steering some two miles SE of Duncansby Head.

Full speed At 0027, the Tyne dassNorman Salveson launched from her slipway and proceeded on service at full speed with coxswain Walter McPhee at the helm.

The wind had been blowing from the east for several days and was now ESE Force 8-9. A confused, broken sea in Wick Bay averaged 18ft high. The sky was overcast with heavy rain squalls, reducing visibility to less than a mile.

The casualty was detected by radar at six miles range and the lifeboat was alongside by 0111.

The ferry was rolling heavily, shipping heavy seas and spray.

She was making about 12 knots but circling to port and the crew were mustered on the afterdeck.

With the wind now at Force 10, the seas were some 35ft high.

Radio communication was severely limited as the ferry had only a portable VHP handset still serviceable.

At 0115 a rescue helicopter arrived to winch survivors off the ferry and the lifeboat stood by astern in case of accidents. However, by 0207 only four men had been lifted off St Rognvald because of the extreme conditions, and the helicopter had to return to Lossiemouth to collect new 'highlines', since those she was carrying had all been broken.

As the ferry drifted dangerously closer to the shore, coxswain McPhee advised the casualty to drop anchor.

Fortunately emergency steering was gained first and coxswain McPhee was able to guide the ferry away from land by issuing helm orders by radio.

With the arrival of another rescue helicopter at 0255. a further ten survivors were lifted off.

Assistance Coxswain McPhee continued to assist the ferry to steer offshore until a relief master arrived and a new compass was rigged. With the assistance of the tug Einer which arrived shortly after 0600 the lifeboat escorted the ferry to Sinclair Bay, where she was anchored at 0730.

At 0817, the master decided that the lifeboat was no longer required.

She was moored, refuelled and ready for service once more by 0920.

In his official report, Mr Les Vipond, divisional inspector of lifeboats for Scotland south, paid tribute to coxswain McPhee whose local knowledge 'was invaluable in guiding the casualty to a safe anchorage.' All in a day's work...

Eastbourne crew's first aid examination was interrupted on 1 August by an urgent message over the VHP radio from the Dutch yacht Srres:e. requesting medical assistance some ten miles SE of Eastbourne.

The call to help Mr Anton Subbers of Eindhoven couldn't have come at a more convenient time as a paramedic training officer and a stand-in honorary medical adviser were both on hand.

The Rother class Duke of Kent was launched within six minutes of the call. At the casualty, medical staff were transferred to the yacht and diagnosed Mr Subbers as possibly having a perforated ulcer. Mr Subbers was transferred to the lifeboat by stretcher (see below) and, back on land, was taken to the district hospital for treatment. He was later released.

With the lifeboat back on service, the crew members went on to complete their exams.

Photo Terry Connolly DECISIVE ACTION SAVES A LIFE Weston-super-Mare South West Division Man rescued by yacht's dinghy The rescue of a non-swimmer from the River Axe at Westonsuper- Mare has earned yachtsman Mr John Dark a Letter of Thanks from the RNLI's Director, who praised him on 'a highly commendable rescue', commenting that 'there is no doubt that your prompt and decisive actions saved a man's life'.

On Monday 8 April 1991 Mr Dark was aboard his yacht Hot Pepper on his mooring near Walbrough Sluice, with co-owners Mr and Mrs Banks, who are not experienced yachtsmen.

At approximately 13 30 Mr Dark heard shouts and went ol» deck to see two persons floundering in the water downstream.

Mayday Mr Dark told Mr Banks to broadcast a Mayday to summon help, while he rowed quickly towards the two people in distress in his 6ft pram dinghy, taking with him a lifebelt.

The first man, obviously a nonswimmer, was holding on to a buoy. Mr Dark handed him the lifebelt and went to look for the second person. He was unable to find any sign of him.

The man on the buoy, wearing a heavy combat-style jacket, shouted that he could not hold for much longer and requested immediate assistance. Mr Dark, realising it would be imprudent to recover the man into the pram dinghy from the water, hoisted him first onto a speedboat on an adjacent mooring and then into his dinghy.

As he returned the survivor to Hot Pepper, Mr Banks told Mr Dark no response had been received to his Mayday call, and it transpired that Mr Banks had not activated the transmit button. The subsequent Mayday was received by Swansea Coastguard at 1346.

Mr Dark dressed the survivor in his own trousers, shirt and sweater as he was shivering violently with cold and shock. In foul weather gear, Mr Dark resumed his search for the missing man, but again to no avail.

Update Weston-super-Mare deputy launching authority, Terry Green, then appeared in his own dinghy and was updated on the situation.

Mr Dark returned to Hot Pepper as he was getting tired.

MrGreen recovered the remains of the dinghy, and Weston's Atlantic 21 and D class arrived to search for the missing person, but no one was found.

At low water that evening Mr Dark returned to the scene and Police divers recovered the body of the survivor's son from the spot where he had last been seen. Neither of the men had been swimmers and neither wore any form of lifejacket.

Risk Captain Hugh Fogarty, deputy divisional inspector, south west, said: 'To recover a man from the water in a 6ft pram dinghy is hazardous and had Mr Dark not thought the matter through, this service could well have ended with three drowned. However, he achieved his aim with the minimum, albeit not inconsiderable, risk to himself.' Cnllercoats East Division Exercise becomes service to three A training exercise became operational experience for the crew of the new relief Atlantic 21 at Cullercoats on 1 May 1991, earning the station a Letter of Thanks from the Director.

Cullercoats' relief Atlantic 21 lifeboat was on exercise in Whitley Bay one mile north of the station when Tyne Tees Coastguard contacted the crew to inform them a windsurfer was in difficulties near to the south side of Tyne harbour entrance.

The lifeboat had launched into a northerly Force 5 to 6 with sea conditions slight in the harbour, but with a 10ft swell at sea. The exercise was part of the working up of the new Atlantic 21.

At 1810, the lifeboat proceeded towards Tyne harbour at full speed, arriving at the casualty at 1815 to find the windsurfer clinging to his board. The wind was still northerly but gusting to Force 7 and the northerly swell was entering the harbour.

With determination and quick handling of throttles and steering wheel, the helmsman positioned the lifeboat between the pier and the windsurfer. On the first attempt the two crewmen hauled him in over the port side.

A 14ft aluminium 'rescueboat', with a Seagull outboard and paddle, had apparently attempted help. Instead, she had been washed up an oblique wall and capsized. Her two crew were trying to restart the outboard.

The lifeboat quickly came alongside the rescue boat and towed the craft and occupants to the north side of the harbour and all three survivors were landed safely. The lifeboat returned to recover the board and sail.

This service was carried out in daylight in difficult conditions with a northerly sea and one hour after spring ebb.

Life in the old girl yet! The Robert, Beaumaris1 Watson class lifeboat bid a fine farewell during her passage back to the RNLI's Poole depot following her withdrawal from service in July.

She was called into service twice en route - firstly on 10 July to 40 miles south of The Lizard to low F Brigg to Falmouth.

Then, approaching Poole on 12 July, she was diverted to tow the motor cruiser Linear II to Poole Quay.

Fire at sea 'Very competently handled,' was the verdict of Portpatrick's honorary secretary after his crew put out a blaze aboard the yacht Roimbahn.

with three men and two dogs aboard, on 24 August.

The survivors were all transferred to the relief lifeboat from the tanker Glemfyne which had picked them up from their liferaft after they had abandoned the yacht.

The fire was doused and the yacht towed safely to Portpatrick.

Norwegian coaster towed off reef by Mallaig lifeboat On 16 April 1991, coxswain Tommy Ralston of Mallaig lifeboat station sighted from his house the Norwegian coaster Sonnodd heading for the reef to the north of Mallaig lighthouse.

Before the vessel struck he requested the Coastguard to page the crew, realising that with a falling tide there was very little time to spare.

Aboard Mailaig's relief lifeboat Duchess of Kent, coxswain Ralston realised that the coaster was fast about half way along the keel. Knowing where deep water was, he towed the vessel in that direction at an angle of 90 degrees to the boat's heading, thus giving greater leverage.

The coaster was eventually towed off the reef and escorted into Mallaig Harbour.

But for Ihe speedy action of the coxswain and crew the coaster would have lain over at low tide and because of the rock formation it is unlikely she would have righted herself.

Captain Murray, the harbour master, stated that the coxswain's good seamanship undoubtedly saved the vessel.

The service was noted with a Letter of Thanks from the chief of operations.

Pad stow South West Division Four saved from grounded crabber In a letter from the chief of operations, Padstow lifeboat crew has been praised for a service which 'was carried out in dangerous conditions' and which 'called upon each of the crew's individual skills as lifeboatmen'.

At 0110 on 10 July 1991 Falmouth Coastguard requested the launch of Padstow lifeboat to aid the Weymouth crabber Kael Co: which had gone aground under cliffs at Rumps Point. Fifty feet either way and she would have ripped her bottom out on the underwater rocks.

As it was, she was hard and fast, broadside on and rolling heavily with the Atlantic swell.

The lifeboat had one option - to go straight in and out again. It was a dangerous manoeuvre, not least because of the heavy swell at the base of the cliffs and the rolling of the casualty, later abandoned as a total wreck.

The coxswain successfully achieved his aim after four attempts.

The four crew jumped aboard the lifeboat, but one of them had his finger tip crushed as he did so. The lifeboat crew had recently updated their first aid skills and were able to treat the survivor's injury.

After arriving safely at Padstow Harbour, an ambulance took the injured man to hospital.

RNLFs busiest weekend of the year The final weekend in August was the busiest one so far in 1991 for RNLI lifeboats.

At the time of going to press reports had been received of 127 launches between Friday and Sunday, from every one of the Institution's seven operational divisions.

There were 47 launches on Friday, 30 August; 46 on the Saturday and 34 on the Sunday.

Reported incidents included a yacht towed in by Torbay lifeboat, a search by Walmer and Dover lifeboats for a man overboard from a cross-Channel ferry, a search by Port Isaac lifeboat for an angler who slipped off a rock, a launch by Barrow lifeboat to three people aboard a pleasure boat with engine failure and a search by Mallaig lifeboat for a diver who had failed to surface.

It's a dog's life...

...for Molly When the crew of Walmer's D class inflatable lifeboat received a report from Dover Coastguard that a dog had fallen some 150ft over a cliff about three miles from the station they could have been forgiven for fearing the worse.

However, when they reached the scene they found the dog alive and on a ledge just 6ft above the water. Despite a heavy swell crew member Derek Brown was landed with some difficulty.

Amazingly he discovered the dog, a crossbreed by the name of Molly, to be completely unharmed by her fall.

However a nasty sea breaking against the cliff at high water spring tide presented problems in getting her aboard the lifeboat, which had been forced to lie-off.

Nothing daunted Derek tucked Molly firmly under his left arm and struck out for the inflatable, swimming the short distance until they could both be hauled aboard the lifeboat.

On returning to the station a distinctly wet and bedraggled Molly was re-united with her very relieved and grateful lady owner who had been taken there in a Coastguard Land- Rover.

... and for Brandy The crew of Swanage lifeboat were involved in a similar doggy episode shortly after Walmer's rescue, fortunately with the same happy result.

Brandy, a two-year-old collie on holiday in the area with his owners, had been too busy chasing rabbits to notice a 100ft cliff at Anvil Point one evening and had plunged out of sight. He could not be seen, but after about 15 minutes his plaintive yaps could be heard from the base of the cliff.

Conditions were too rough the next day to rescue Brandy, but he was located and thrown opened tins of corned beef. Finally, on the following day, conditions moderated enough to allow Brandy to be plucked from his precarious perch completely unscathed after his two-day ordeal at the base of the cliff.

Owner Ted Bradley said after Brandy was safe: 'I am amazed at all the trouble they went to for a dog. If it was a human in the same position they couldn't have done more.' Moelfre West Division Moelfre's Tyne class ifeboatRobertand Violet was called out to the 27ft yacht Moulin Rouge on 12 July 1991. The yacht was in difficulties seven miles NE of Moelfre Island in rough seas and a SSW wind of Force 7 to 8.

The Tyne towed her some eight miles to safety, in conditions which can well be gauged from the photograph taken by the lifeboat crew..