Mersey takes four off sinking yacht in gale and heavy seas Coxswain Chris Haw of Swanage's 12m Mersey class lifeboat Robert Charles Brown has been awarded the Thanks of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Inscribed on Vellum for the rescue of four people from the yacht Aeolian on 25 October 1992.In his official report, Christopher Price, the inspector of lifeboats for the south east wrote: 'Coxswain Haw displayed first class boat handling and sound seamanship in appalling sea conditions'. For their involvement in the service second coxswain Nicholas Harris, assistant mechanic Martin Steeden and crew members Desmond Fitzgerald, Geoffrey Marsh and Tony Byron have been awarded Vellum Service Certificates.

At 0655 on 25 October 1992 Portland Coastguard informed Swanage lifeboat station that the 40ft yacht Aeolian had been knocked down off the Needles channel and one person had been lost overboard.

The four people remaining aboard required immediate assistance.

Shelter Swanage's all-weather Mersey class lifeboat Robert Charles Brown launched from her slipway at 0712 in a WSW Force 8 wind and set a course for the yacht's position, some five miles south of the Needles.

Once clear of the shelter of Peveril Point the lifeboat felt the full force of thewind and, with a very heavy breaking sea on her starboard quarter, the coxswain and crew stayed inside the wheelhouse for security.

The lifeboat passed the Fairway Buoy near the Needles at 0753 and was told that the casualty was now just under four miles from St Catherine's Point, the most southerly point on the Isle of Wight.

A Coastguard helicopter was standing by the yacht, the conditions being too dangerous to airlift the survivors. Having obtained a VHP DF bearing of the casualty the lifeboat spotted the helicopter at 0834 and six minutes later Aeolian herself was in sight. Once the lifeboat was at the scene the helicopter, which was low on fuel, returned to base.

The casualty's rudder had failed andshe had run under auxiliary engine power to clear the dangers along the south coast of the Isle of Wight.

Swanage lifeboat located her in the overfalls off St Catherine's Point, lying diagonally across the waves with heavy seas constantly breaking over her. She was rolling her gunwales under, taking heavy water aboard and her jib was in shreds.

In the Force 8-9 wind and very rough seas, estimated at 25ft, coxswain Haw decided that it would be impossible to tow the casualty which, in any event, appeared to be in danger of sinking. He recommended that the yacht be abandoned, and the lifeboat prepared to come alongside.

Extreme Coxswain Haw made two runs alongside, putting the lifeboat's starboard shoulder against the portsideof the yacht, even though it was impossible to hold her there for any length of time. On each of the first two runs the survivors were not ready for transfer, but on the third and subsequent runs a survivor was hauled aboard the lifeboat by the crew members stationed on deck.

In the extreme conditions the two boats were pitching and rolling violently as they were carried by the breaking seas, and with crew members Marsh and Byron on the foredeck the survivors were dragged aboard the lifeboat and escorted to the wheelhouse by crew member Fitzgerald.

Aeolian was rigged as a yawl and her crew had been unable to secure the mizzen boom, which had been swinging wildly and causing concern to the coxswain throughout the rescue. While taking the final survivor aboard the boom swung across the lifeboat and struck crew member Marsh's crash helmet, slightly injuring his forehead.

However, all four survivors weresafely aboard the lifeboat by 0853 and Coxswain Haw set a course for Yarmouth via the Needles Channel. Throughout the passage the seas were very rough, estimated at 25ft to 30ft high, and despite reducing speed the lifeboat was constantly shipping water overall and occasionally falling off a particularly heavy sea and slamming hard.

The Mersey eventually reached Yarmouth at 1027, and landed the survivors.

The man who had been lost overboard earlier had been picked up by Yarmouth lifeboat which was operating with failed steering gear and transferred to a helicopter, but was dead on arrival at hospital.

The abandoned Aeolian later sank .

Swanage lifeboat left Yarmouth to return to her station at 1138, into the teeth of gale force winds of Force 8 to 9 and gusting to Force 10. She arrived at Swanage at 1259 and was refuelled and ready for service again by 1340..