Mersey in heavy breakers and backwash only yards from stone sea wall Scarborough's Mersey class lifeboat Fanny Victoria Wilkinson and Frank Stubbs was involved in attempts to save a woman who had been swept into the sea at Scarborough on 12 August 1994. Sadly they were in vain.

The lifeboat was at times less than a boat's length from the sea wall, in extremely broken water and buffeted by a breaking sea bouncing back from the stonework.It was at 2010, shortly before high water that the Coastguard informed the station that the woman had been swept into the sea and requested an immediate launch. Just eight minutes later the Mersey was afloat and heading for the scene, only a mile to the north of the station, arriving there at 2029.

The wind was from the north east at up to Force 5, but the sea here was extremely rough with a breaking sea over 12ft high running in to a sheer wall from which it rebounded with considerable force.

Eight times coxswain/mechanic Richard Constantine came in stern first through the breakers, holding the lifeboat's head to the sea, but each time the Mersey's crew could not quite reach the casualty.

Observers ashore said that at times the 12m lifeboat was less than 10m from the wall, but still she could not get close enough to haul the woman from the sea.

Before another attempt could be made a Sea King helicopter arrived at the scene and was able to retrieve the casualty from the breakers. Tragically she did not survive.

Speaking to the Scarborough Evening News Coxswain/mechanic Constantine, who has been a crew member and mechanic for ten years but who was making only his second trip as coxswain, said: 'I've been in the lifeboat in a lot worse conditions, but at the depth we were in and the distance from the sea wall it was probably the worst situation I've been in.

'We made several attempts to get as near as we dared to the sea wall without smashing up the lifeboat. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to pick the lady up.

'I just did what I'd been trained to do for the last ten years . You are hoping to get somebody out alive and at the same time you have the safety of your crew on your mind. What happened did upset me and I know the crew put on a brave face but were deeply affected by it.'.