Tyne's inflatable used to reach stranded fishing boat survivors A service to a 17ft fishing vessel and her crew of two in hazardous conditions, among rocks and in rough seas, has earned two men from Wick's lifeboat station the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum. Coxswain Walter McPhee was said by the inspector of lifeboats for Scotland North Division* to have '...acted with determination and a high standard of seamanship and leadership', while acting second coxswain Ian Cormack was praised for his 'determination, seamanship and courage' in the small inflatable X boat used in the rescue.The other crew members aboard during the service - mechanic John Martin, assistant mechanic Alexander Durrand and assistant winchman, acting crew member Hugh Gunn - have all received Vellum Service certificates On 11 May 1992 Coxswain Walter McPhee arrived at the boathouse for an evening of maintenance on the lifeboat to be told by his crew that they had just overheard a VHP message to Pentland Coastguard reporting red flares off Staxigoe. The coxswain telephoned Pentland coastguard who confirmed that a small boat was on the rocks off Staxigoe, and two people were in the water.

A 1924 Wick's 47ft Tyne class lifeboat Norman Salvesen launched and proceeded on service in a SE Force 5 to 6 which was creating a rough sea with a swell some 6ft high. With only an hour to high water the stream was flowing south at about one knot.Coxswain McPhee passed only two cables to seaward of North Head, then just one cable clear of the rocks known as the Tails of Elsay. From there the casualty could be seen, swamped and with seas breaking over her deck at times. The twoman crew of Wave Dancer were on the rocks nearby without lifejackets, and police and coastguards could be seen on the shore. The lifeboat closed with the casualty at 1931 and laid-off about two boatlengths to windward.

Although the weather conditions were still as they had been at the lifeboat house acting second coxswain Ian Cormack volunteered to take the X boat (an inflat-able carried aboard the lifeboat) which had been prepared during the passage to the casualty, carrying lifejackets for the survivors.

A line was attached to the inflatable which was then rowed down to the casualty.

Operating at the limits of the boat and always in danger of capsizing, Ian Cormack managed to throw the lifejackets to the survivors and made it clear that the coxswain would make no attempt to bring them aboard or save their boat until they had donned the lifejackets. The survivors put the lifejackets on and re-boarded their stranded boat.

The propeller of Wave Dancer had been fouled by the line of the last of her 25 creel pots as they were hauled in, and with the propeller stopped the vessel had been ashore within two minutes. The fishermen had thrown all the creel pots back into the water to lighten the vessel and the lifeboat coxswain was now having difficulty in keeping the lifeboat clear of the lines, pots and rocks, while manoeuvring to counteract the tide which was pushing the lifeboat along the shore.

Coxswain McPhee repositioned Norman Salvesen to pass a tow line, which was passed into the X-boat so that Ian Cormack could once again approach the casualty. The first attempt was aborted when the X-boat was partially swamped by a breaking wave and had to be pulled back alongside the lifeboat. Once again the lifeboat was repositioned and the Xboat approached the casualty. The tow line was thrown to them and secured, but not before one of the survivors had been washed into the sea - although he was able to scramble back aboard as the next wave washed through.

Continued on following pageThe coxswain towed Wave Dancer gently off the rocks stern first, applying minimal power as each wave crest passed the casualty. As the 17ft vessel cleared the rocks she was very low in the water and when only 30ft away from them she started to settle very fast. The X boat was secure alongside the lifeboat and before coxswain McPhee could manoeuvre alongside the casualty she sank and the two men in the water were being carried downtide very fast.

Shouting to the survivors to swim clear of the rocks, the coxswain manoeuvred around the wreckage, ropes from the casualty and the dangerous rocks. Ian Cormack was once again in the X-boat, on a line from the lifeboat, and using the oars managed to catch hold of one survivor who was transferred to the lifeboat.

The other man had been thrown back onto the rocks and Ian Cormack was able to approach the man and pull him aboard the X boat. The inflatable was hauled back to the lifeboat which was then brought clear of the rocks at 1948.

The return passage was made at full speed, with both survivors suffering from cold and shock and wrapped in blankets.

An ambulance was asked to meet Norman Salvesen on arrival in Wick Harbour at 2000 where the two survivors were transferred to Wick hospital. They were allowed home later that evening..