Family of five snatched to safety from base of cliff on rising tide A service by Little and Broad Haven's D class on 23 September 1995 to a family stranded at the base of a cliff on a rising tide has led to the award of the Institution's Bronze Medal to Helmsman Crispin Williamson and the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum to crew members Brian Dilly and Dai Love.Itwasl541 on 23 September 1995 when Little and Broad Haven's D class inflatable launched to assist four children and two adults who were stranded by the rising tide at the foot of the cliffs near Druidston Haven.

The stranded family had put to sea in calm weather in their new dinghy and landed at Nolton Haven beach. Later, while trying to launch in rapidly deteriorating weather, the dinghy was swamped.

The rising tide prevented the mother and children from moving along the rocks and they became trapped some 60ft from the father who had gone for help.

The wind was Westerly Force 5 gusting 6 with 6ft waves at Little Haven - marginal launching conditions for the D class lifeboat Sybil.

However the lifeboat, helmed by Crispin Williamson and crewed by Dai Love and Brian Dilly, was launched successfully and headed for the scene as fast as the conditions would allow. On arrival they found the family trapped about 200m north of North Haven, where the shore line is strewn with rocky outcrops with cliffs more than 200ft high and small coves which completely cover at high water.

The lifeboat went first to the mother and four children, aged between 6 and 12, who were stuck on a rock ledge at the base of a steep cliff. Wet, cold and scared, the children were in summer clothes but still wearing their lifejackets.

Close under the cliffs the sea conditions were much worse, with breaking waves on top of the swell and confused by the backwash from the cliff base.

A direct approach was impossible sothe lifeboat passed close to the casualties while the crew told them to stay where they were, reassured them and told them that they would anchor and veer back down to them.

Crispin Williamson manoeuvred the lifeboat into position, anchored and veered down through the unpredictable wave pattern. Choosing a small rocky outcrop he held the lifeboat alongside just long enough for crew member Dilly to leap ashore - he knew the family and was able to calm them ready for the difficult transfer to the lifeboat.

Judging the conditions Crispin Williamson manoeuvred the D class alongside the rock while Brian Dilly carried the children to the end of the outcrop one at a time. Here he had to throw them to Dai Love, who caught them in the well of the boat. Between each casualty, the lifeboat stood off and then veered down again, sometimes twice, to recover each of the four children. As the mother was being transferred, a large wave broke drenching both her and Brian Dilly.

With five of the casualties safely on board, the lifeboat powered away to repo-sition and rescue the father. Having reanchored and started veering down, three huge waves caught the lifeboat throwing her broadside on to the seas. Dai Love quickly and instinctively retrieved some warp, holding the bows to the seas and almost certainly preventing a capsize.

By now the lifeboat had shipped a considerable amount of water and the helmsman decided it would be safer to take the five people already aboard to the beach before returning to rescue the father. So, at 1605 they were landed and the children - who were now in the first stages of hypothermia - taken to shelter.

The lifeboat was quickly relaunched to rescue the father, who had by now climbed the cliff and was stuck some 50ft up. Once again the lifeboat anchored and veered down and Brian Dilly was landed.

The St David's Auxiliary Cliff Rescue Team had been called and for the next hour the lifeboat stood off to direct the rescue teams while crewman Dilly remained at the foot of the cliff exchanging jokes and encouraging the father to maintain his precarious position.

Dense undergrowth prevented a vertical recovery up the cliff so eventually both an Auxiliary Coast Guard and the casualty were lowered down to sea level for the lifeboat to recover. Crispin Williamson and Dai Love held the stern of the lifeboat close enough to the rocks to allow the casualty and rescue team to jump on board and by 1721 the last casualty had been landed at Druidston.

With everyone now safe the lifeboat returned to the abandoned dinghy to recover some personal gear, including house keys, which were safely recovered despite Force 7 winds and underwater obstructions. The dinghy was holed and could not be saved so the crew returned to station and by 1800 the lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service..