Three saved from yacht after long tow by Tyne in Storm Force windsCromer lifeboat coxswain Richard Davies has been awarded the RNLI's Bronze Medal following the rescue of five people aboard the 30ft yacht Happy Bear off Cromer, Norfolk on the evening of Wednesday 13 October 1993.

Despite Storm Force winds and the worst sea conditions ever experienced by the Cromer crew, the casualty was taken in tow and boat and crew brought to safety in Great Yarmouth.In his official report Tim Harrison, the deputy inspector of lifeboats for the eastern division said: The launch was the roughest the station had experienced in the 30 years the coxswain had been involved.' For their part in the rescue second coxswain William Davies, mechanic Paul Wegg, crew members Robert Brownsell, Gary Humphrey and Paul Jeffries, and head launcher John Lee will receive bronze medal service certificates.

Scanner During the afternoon of Wednesday 13 October 1993 one of Cromer lifeboat crew's radio scanner picked up a call for help from the 30ft Kingfisher class yacht Happy Bear. He telephoned the coastguard who requested an immediate launch and by 1520 Cromer's 47ft Tyne class lifeboat Ruby and Arthur Reed II was ready to launch with Coxswain Richard Davies in command.

An onshore wind, ENE at 55 knots (Force 10), was creating a sea so rough that it reached up to the lifeboat station doors.

Coxswain Davies had to choose precisely the right moment to give the signal to slip, and even then the lifeboat was completely buried by the seas when she launched and and frequently disappeared from view as she clawed her way seaward.

Contact The lifeboat headed ENE - straight into weather which was so rough that it was some time before it was safe enough for anyone to go on deck to raise the aerials and try to contact the yacht. It proved impossible to run at full speed, and at times the lifeboat became airborne over the waves before crashing heavily into the troughs.

Radio contact was established with the yacht at 1545 when the lifeboat was about three or four miles out and, using the VHF direction finder, the lifeboat altered course to the south east towards her. The sea was now almost on the beam, and with the coxswain at the helm thelifeboat increased to full speed, with the second coxswain manning the throttles and warning of particularly large waves.

Several times the lifeboat had to be squared-up to the appalling sea conditions before resuming her course.

The casualty was spotted at 1557, only about a mile off the lee shore at Trimingham. She was heading south east with only a storm jib set and the engine running - although the gearbox would not engage properly in forward gear. She was in great difficulty and being tossed around violently by heavy breaking seas in the shallow water. The skipper, in foulweather gear and lifejacket, was hanging on as best he could, with his four-man crew below deck.

The wind was still at Gale Force, with poor visibility, a huge breaking sea and astorm-induced south-easterly stream of 3 to 4 knots.

Coxswain Davies considered it dangerous to approach the casualty without causing her serious damage and so he asked the skipper to maintain his course while the lifeboat took up station astern and to windward. The only sheltered harbour within reach on this shallow lee shore was Yarmouth, more than 20 miles away to the south. Heading downwind and downstream the casualty was making 6 to 7 knots over the ground, but by 1657 daylight was fading and her gearbox problem was becoming worse.

As they were now in the relatively deeper water off Bacton, the coxswain decided it was safe and timely for a tow line to be passed. The lifeboat came in on the casualty's weather beam and briefly came up into the sea as the tow line was passed and made fast. At 1707 the Tyne was able to set a course slightly offshore to clear shoals off Happisburgh, and then more to the south towards Great Yarmouth, with the casualty in tow. The conditions during the long tow were very difficult and on one occasion the yacht broached completely, lifeboat and the yacht ending up stern-to-stern. Another large sea broke over the yacht, leaving just her skipper's head visible above the water.

Jumped By 1800 the weather had begun to ease slightly - although it was still gusting to Force 9 with 20ft seas - and the yacht's skipper was worried about taking the casualty into Great Yarmouth. By shortening the tow and going astern the yacht was brought close to leeward of the lifeboat and, in complete darkness, second coxswain William Davies jumped across and took the yacht's helm. At 1857 the lifeboat entered Yarmouth and made fast alongside the Town Quay at 1938.

It was not until Monday 18 October, five days later, that conditions moderated enough for the lifeboat to return to Cromer for rehousing..