LONG SERVICE FOR D CLASS IN HEAVY SURF Injured climbers rescued from foot of cliffs in heavy surf The Helmsman of Bude's inshore lifeboat, Micky Sims, has been awarded the Thanks of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution inscribed on Vellum following the rescue of two climbers from the foot of cliffs on 21 April 1993 in a service which lasted more than 3 hours and ended in darkness.

The lifeboat's three crew handled her with skill and determination in extremely difficult circumstances, in surf and swell and among rocks and, thanks to the helmsman's courage, leadership and team work from the crew and shore helpers, the service was successful.In his official report, Capt Hugh Fogarty, then the deputy inspector of lifeboats for the south west division, wrote: 'Helmsman Sims' calculated decision to beach at Welcome Mouth rather than expose the casualties to the rigours of the return passage to Bude showed an intelligent regard for the welfare of the survivors, even though he knew it would make difficulties for himself and his crew'. For their part in the service, Crew Members James Wade and Keith West (on his first service in the lifeboat) will be presented with framed letters of appreciation signed by RNLI Chairman Michael Vernon.

It was at 1756 on 21 April 1993 that Falmouth Coastguard first informed the station that one of a group of climbers was lying injured at the foot of cliffs at Gull Rock, near Welcome Mouth. The whole party was also in danger of being cut off by the tide.

Surf Bude's 16ft D class lifeboat was launched six minutes later, with Micky Sims at the helm. The wind was SW Force 4 with a 3ft sea and 6-8ft surf.

The lifeboat cleared the surf at Bude and then headed for the scene of the incident, six miles to the north, where she began searching the cliffs while staying outside the breaking surf for safety.

It was difficult to see the cliff base at times, because of the sea conditions but, at 1837 the casualties were spotted on a ledge inside Gull Rock, on the north sideof Marsland Point. Helmsman Sims made two runs through the surf to assess the situation and work out a strategy. As the casualties were by now being washed by the largest of the swells he decided to put a crew member ashore to help.

Taking the lifeboat in through the surf he held her head-to-sea while James Wade swam the 15-20ft to the ledge, which he reached at 1845.

Fall Of the five survivors three were fit and well, one was suffering from shock and hypothermia and the other from lacerations, a suspected broken foot and back pains after a 30ft fall.

The fit members were able to climb the cliffs, but the two injured survivors would have to be evacuated by sea. Sims decided to land the lifeboat, and waited for a surge to bring her to the ledge and lift her on to it, stern first. Once aground on the ledge the casualties were taken aboard and the lifeboat then re-launched. She was under way again by 1851.

Helmsman Sims decided that the 6- mile passage through surf back to Bude would be hard on the casualties. Althoughthere was a heavier breaking surf on the exposed beach at nearby Welcome Mouth a beach landing there would shorten the time at sea, and there was also access for an ambulance. So, having manoeuvred inside the surf line, Sims waited for a few minutes for the right conditions and then beached the lifeboat at 1810.

Ambulance The survivors were landed while two crew members held the lifeboat in position - a very difficult task in the dumping surf. They held the lifeboat for 20 minutes until the ambulance arrived for the casualties.

Re-launching the lifeboat was extremely hazardous, and several attempts were made. During one attempt all three men and gear were washed out of the lifeboat, and it was then decided to wait until shore crew arrived to help.

Finally at 2030, in fading light, with Shore Crew Members Ball, Goodyear and Andrews in the water stripped to their underwear, Sims chose the exact moment to take the lifeboat through the surf. He negotiated four 8-10ft breaking seas, and then turned south for the run back to station.

It was dark on arrival off Bude Haven and the helmsman asked that parachute flares be fired to illuminate the harbour, which he cleared successfully and beached safely at around 2100, more than three hours after setting out.SIX HOUR TOW IN WAVES OVER SOFT AND WINDS UP TO FORCE 11Ten saved as disabled yacht is struck by storm force winds The Lizard's Tyne class lifeboat David Robinson was at sea for more than 12 hours in atrocious conditions on 30 May 1993 when she went to the aid of a 56ft yacht in difficulties some 40 miles to the SE of the station. The service has earned the coxswain, Philip Burgess, and entire crew of the lifeboat a letter of thanks from the Chairman of the RNLI.The yacht Heptarchy, with a crew of ten, had been taking part in a race from Helford to the French coast and was close to her destination when trouble struck. A fishing net fouled her bow and propeller as she tried to enter port in worsening weather, and in the struggle her mains'l began to give trouble.

Having decided to run back before the storm to her home port she was knocked down in Storm Force winds with damage to her sails and generator. When electrical power was eventually restored she sent out a Mayday which reached The Lizard lifeboat station at 0152.

Twenty minutes later the Tyne had launched into an extremely rough sea and was heading for the casualty. It took just over three hours to reach the yacht, the wind still exceeding 60 knots (Force 11) but with the sea and swell increasing as the lifeboat left the slight shelter of the land.

Using her VHP direction finding equipent David Robinson was able to locate the casualty at 0515, under bare poles and being buffeted by the very bad conditions.It was not until 0550 that the coxswain finally managed to get the lifeboat into a position where a heaving line could be passed successfully, but, by managing to hold her head up long enough in a trough between the waves it was eventually passed to the yacht and a tow secured.

Making some six knots or so the lifeboat began the long tow back to the safety of Falmouth, and with the wind moderating slightly but still with an extremely heavy sea the Tyne and her tow reached the Manacles at around 1100.

Diverting into the Helford River she was able to make the casualty fast to a mooring at 1230 and was able to set out for her station an hour later, finally re-housing David Robinson just after 1400.

In his report of the service the station'shonorary secretary summed up the service in a few words: 'Eight exhausted men disembarked after some 12 hours service in conditions so violent they could neither eat, drink nor perform the needs of nature.

Proud of a superb lifeboat... ten lives were saved this morning.' Similarly the skipper of Heptarchy, Chris Tyler was succinct in his quote in The Cornishman': 'We were never so pleased to see another boat,' he said talking of the dawn moment when they first sawDavid Robinson ploughing towards them, 'the crew were superb...'The lighter side.

From the 'Wicklow People': 'The crew of the Arklow lifeboat are involved in an unusual lifesaving mission at the moment... that of an oyster.

'James, the oyster, is a new resident acquired by the lifeboat house after he was picked up on the Arklow Bank by Michael O'Brien.

'Fisherman Michael was a former member of Arklow lifeboat crew for over 40 years and served half of that time as coxswain of the boat.

'Oyster fishing was carried on in the waters around Arklow some 60 or 70 years ago but we thought that oysters living off our shores were a thing of the past.

Seemingly not and James is a biggie by oyster standards, being the size of a saucer.

'James was put in the fish tank at the lifeboat station where the crew are looking after him like a baby. Fergus Bolger of Arklow lifeboat station tells us they would appreciate advice and help from the public on how to keep James alive.'HAZARDOUS SERVICE IN GALE FORCE WINDS Out-of-control casualty stopped by deliberately fouling propellerWick lifeboat was involved in an unusual, hazardous and tragic service on 15/16 May 1993 when a helicopter spotted a vessel going round in circles at full power some 14 miles south of the station.Alerted by the coastguard at 2334 on 15 May the Tyne class Norman Salvesen was underway in 15 minutes and heading for the casualty at best speed into a Force 8 gale and steadily increasing seas.

Arriving at the casualty's position at 0040 she found the yacht Stardust motoring in circles at full speed with a body being dragged astern on a safety line. By this time the wind had reached severe gale Force 9 and the seas were some 20ft high.

The coxswain made several attempts to put a crew member aboard the casualty, but the conditions were so severe that this could not be done. Both lifeboat and yacht were suffering damage as they collided and several fenders and a grappling hook were lost in the attempts. It was obvious that another method had to be found and it was decided to try to stop the yacht by deliberately fouling her propeller. After several attempts in the very rough conditions a line was passed under Stardust, which fouled the propeller, stopping the engine. In the large seas it was still not safe to board the casualty and so the line wasthen used to tow the yacht back to Wick, where the body of the yacht's owner was recovered from the sea.

Following this tragic service a substantial sum was collected at the funeral and donated to the Institution. The chief of operations has written to the station congratulating the coxswain and crew on their work in the difficult service.Norman Salvesen was involved in a less hazardous, but nonetheless demanding, tow on 7 April this year when she successfully brought the 450-ton cargo vessel Eilean Mo Grhidh to safety after her engines had failed and the tide was sweeping her away to the north.

The 47ft Tyne class managed a speed of four knots with the very much larger cargo vessel in tow in a Force 5 with a 6ft to 9ft swell. The casualty is pictured from the lifeboat making good progress towards Wick where she was safely moored.Rescuers rescued Dun Laoghaire's D class inflatable was involved in a service at the very limits for the class of lifeboat when she went to the aid of a capsized safety boat on 26 May 1993.

The inflatable had been on exercise inside Dun Laoghaire harbour when it was learned that the 17ft sailing club rescue boat had capsized and was in breaking surf with three people aboard.

With the all-weather lifeboat following to provide back-up the ILB made for the scene and found the casualty off a dangerous lee shore in a SE Force 4 to 5 with a swell some 10ft high breaking heavily on the breakwater.

Entering the surf the D class was able to take off the three men clinging to the upturned hull and transfer them to the all-weather lifeboat - which was lying off in deeper water. The Waveney then escorted the inflatable back to the shelter of the harbour.Strong offshore wind results in four calls in an hour Hayling Island's Atlantic 21 Aldershot had a very busy hour or so on 8 May when she was afloat on exercise and then dealt with several casualties in quick succssion.

At 1334, while already afloat with Selsey lifeboat in support of a special fundraising event and standing-by near the Winner buoy, a coastguard mobile reported a boardsailorin difficulties off Gunner Point.

The wind was Force 6 to 7 from the NE, an offshore wind in the area. While en route to the casualty the mobile reported that a yacht had picked up the casualty - but that a second boardsailer appeared to be in difficulties in the same area.

This boardsailor and his rig was picked up and put ashore at South Hayling Beach, but while doing so another rig was seen drifting out to sea. This belonged to the first casualty, and was recovered and brought ashore. While bringing this rig ashore a third boardsailor was seen waving for assistance. Having taken him ashore the lifeboat headed for Langstone Harbour, where the yacht which had picked up the first casualty was now moored. However, while taking him and his board ashore the crew of the Atlantic spotted a fourth boardsailor waving for assistance on the South Winner Bank... He was also recovered and both men were landed at South Hayling Beach before Aldershot returned to her rendezvous with Selsey lifeboat at the entrance to Chichester Harbour.INSHORE LIFEBOATS IN FLOOD RELIEF WORK Four lifeboats evacuate hundreds from severe flooding Inshore lifeboats on the North Wales coast were once again called in to help with relief work when floods hit the Llandudno area on 10 and 11 June 1993.

D class lifeboats and lifeboatmen from Conwy, Llandudno, Rhyl and Flint were involved, with some making long journeys by road. Although quite severely flooded Llandudno's boathouse became the local Coastguard operation's centre, as it still had an operational VHP radio, telephone and heating - which was more than could be said for the Coastguard's building nearby.

All four stations have received letters from the chief of operations thanking them and commending them for their toils.

Conwy's D class was towed to the flooded area at 1845 and evacuated numerous people, returning for essential medication and to check the still-live electric sub-stations before being stood down at 0200.

Llandudno's ILB was in the thick of the flooded area and boat and crew were able to help some 180 people to safety in what are recorded as three separate 'launches' at 1930 on 10 June (until 0130), and 0725 (until 1700) and 1730 (until 1945) on 11 June. The honorary secretary also added that four budgies, two canaries and two cats should be included in the list.

Rhyl ILB was alerted at 1945 and was towed to the stricken area behind the station mechanic's car. Boat and crew worked alongside the other lifeboats and rescueservices until being stood down at 2300.

Flint's lifeboat was underway at 2140, making the 40 mile passage to Llandudno by road behind the station's LandRover.

Boat, vehicle and crew were used to ferry people from the water to places of safety and they were eventually stood down at 0120 on 11 June.Survivors cling to upturned hull Selsey's Tyne class lifeboat City of London was called to the rescue of three Dutch sailors on 2 June 1993 when their 34ft yacht lost its ballast keel and capsized off Selsey during a fierce squall in the early hours of the morning.

The crew of the yacht, on passage from Hamble to Rotterdam, did not have time to send a distress signal nor don lifejackets and had been clinging to the upturned hull for four hours before being spotted by the crews of two fishing vessels.

Having taken the survivors aboard the fishermen notified the coastguard, and the Selsey lifeboat launched at 0512 to bring the three people ashore. They were transferred to the lifeboat and then landed at the boathouse from where they were taken by ambulance to hospital for a check-up. All three were unhurt but extremely cold.

Honorary Secretary Clive Cockayne told the local newspaper they had been incredibly lucky as the sea was very calm and there was little wind: 'Even at this time of the year it can be very cold and rough off Selsey. They are very lucky to be alive.' The lifeboat later returned to the casualty and towed her into Chichester Harbour, where she was craned out of the water with surprisingly little damage apart from a broken mast and the missing keel.FEBOAT SERVICES...LIFEBOAT SERVICES...

DISABLED CASUALTY DRAGGING ON TO LEE SHORE Difficult tow for Tyne in onshore Gale gusting to over 50 knotsThe Director of the the RNLI has written to Moelfre lifeboat station expressing his thanks 'for a fine service in adverse conditions' by the coxswain and crew of the station's Tyne class lifeboat Robert and Violet.

The letter followed a service in winds of up to 60 knots on 26 May 1993.

A 55ft motor yacht, Samsoon, had anchored off Moelfre close to the fleet which had gathered to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic when her anchor began to drag. The anchor winch also jammed and she was having trouble with one of her engines.

The vessel was thought to be about a mile offshore, and the Coastguard asked for the lifeboat to be put on stand-by, but when it was discovered that she was in fact only a few hundred yards off Moelfre island a further request was made at 0855 for an immediate launch. By coincidence the yacht was only a few yards away from where the Hidlea had gone ashore in 1959.

Escort Robert and Violet launched into an easterly gale, with gusts of over 50 knots recorded by the naval vessels anchored two miles offshore, and made for the casualty.

Having been advised that the motor yacht had one engine running the lifeboat coxswain suggested she slip her anchor and proceed under lifeboat escort. However, just at that point the casualty's second engine stopped so the coxswain decided to put a tow line aboard her.

In the very heavy seas, with both vessels pitching and rolling heavily, heaving lines were put across the casualty's deck but it was only at the fourth attempt that one of her crew managed to catch one - but did not make it fast correctly.

Another attempt at putting a heaving line aboard eventually succeeded and the lifeboat was able to tow Samsoon clear as she raised her anchor. It was decided to tow her to the Menai Straits as nearby Amlwych was congested with sheltering vessels and the entrance was subject to a heavy swell.

During the tow across Red Wharf Bay the lifeboat came across a small motor cruiser which was almost overwhelmed by the conditions and altered course toclose with her. The coxswain notified the Coastguard and an MFV which was in the bay. The MFV stood by and within 30 minutes responded to the cruiser's red flares and took her in towwhile the lifeboat continued to make her way to the Menai Straits with Samsoon.

Conditions were very difficult in the Straits with the wind funnelling through them and, with no attempt being made to steer her, the motor cruiser continued to surge up past the lifeboat despite shortening the tow.

Mooring With the conditions as they were the coxswain could not find a safe mooring for the casualty off Beaumaris, Bangor or even Menai and she was eventually taken to Pehryn Harbour, as the tide had flooded enough by then, and safely docked.

Moelfre lifeboat cannot be re-housed in easterly gales and so she was taken to Amlwych, where she could continue to provide cover, to await better conditions but her services were needed once more as she made her way there.

While passing through the anchored fleet she was asked to take an officer off an anchored minesweeper and in winds still gusting to over 50 knots with very bad sea conditions this was achieved successfully.

Finally making the safety of Amlwych at 1520 the navy provided transport for the lif eboat crew back to Moelfre and the coxswain to report to the Coastguard that Irobert and Violet was available for service once again, but it was 28 hours before conditions moderated enough to allow the Tyne to be re-housed.Portpatrick, Scotland Division First aid skills commended The first aid skills of Portpatrick lifeboat crew, honed on a recent first-aid course, were commended by a doctor who subsequently treated a casualty they had taken off a fishing vessel. The chief of operations subsequently wrote adding his own congratulations.

The station'sTyneclasslifeboatMan/ Irene Millar had launched at 2117 on 27 April 1993 to a fishing vessel whose skipper had an injured ankle which was bleeding profusely. Locating the vessel dome 11 minutes later three lifeboat crew members were put aboard to apply first aid and managed to stem the bleeding and administer entonox and oxygen. The injured man was transferred to the lifeboat and taken back to the harbour where a doctor went aboard to supervise the setting up of a drip before the casualty was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Holyhead, West Division D class, Tyne and X boat rescue fallen climber Holyhead's D class inflatable was called out at 1600 on 21 April to a man who had fallen 90ft from a cliff at North Stack.

The D class was taken through rough, surging 6ft to 8ft seas three times to accomplish the rescue: first to land a cliff rescue team member who had been transferred from a helicopter; then to land three members of the station's allweather lifeboat's crew by towing the Tyne's inflatable X boat ashore, and finally to tow off the X boat with the injured man aboard on a stretcher and transfer him to the Tyne. As the D class eased the X boat and survivor from the rocks two crew members entered the water to steady her.

Having made two more runs in through the hazardous seas to recover the rescue party the inflatable returned to her station at 1740..