The RNLI has been asking some of those who have been on the receiving end of a lifeboat service to complete a questionnaire giving the details as seen from their viewpoint.

The scheme is completely voluntary, but a large number of responses have been received and some people have provided useful and vivid accounts of their rescue.

On the next two pages we look at accounts from the casualty's viewpoint...

A serious leakPeter Gough had a party of divers aboard his fishing boat Beowulf when trouble struck...

It was a typical hot flaming June day, a smooth sea, not a cloud in the sky.

We had sailed out of Poole with a mixed group of young divers excited at the prospect of the coming drift dive along some of the most spectacular scenery in the country.

Climbers were scrambling up the cliffs, adding to the sense of adventure and the group was forming into pairs and quietly helping each other kit up and prepare to enter the water.

The sort of day when nothing could possibly go wrong.

I was in the wheelhouse checking our position, depth and so on when one of the divers came to tell me that smoke was pouring out of the engine hatch.

Fearing a fire in the engine space we cleared away gear from around the hatch, sending people as far from the potential danger as possible.

I gingerly cracked open the hatch, several minutes having passed since the automatic extinguisher should have activated. There was no fire and the smoke soon cleared - revealing several inches of water in the bilge.

It soon became obvious that the water was rising faster than the electric bilge pumps could handle.

There were several boats in the vicinity, and I thought the safest place for the divers was in the water.

One stayed behind, manning the manual bilge pump and keeping an eye on the divers who were drifting along with boat a few yards clear.

I put out a Mayday, giving our position, the total number of people aboard and the exact nature of our problem. With the water rising fast it was odds-on that we would lose battery power, stopping the pumps and more importantly the radio.

Curly G, a fishing vessel out of Poole, dropped everything and was first alongside, passing over a battery that we could hitch up to my spare electric pump - complete with crocodile clips and long lead that I had thought I would probably never use.

A rigid inflatable from a Windsor diving club was next on the scene and collected the divers ready to take back to Swanage. Both skippers had picked up my Mayday and raced to our assistance.

Portland Coastguard had alerted Rescue 172, our local helicopter, and she was hovering overhead in minutes. The Swanage lifeboat arrived in the middle of all this and soon had a crew member aboard.

By now I had located the problem - a split exhaust hose. Beowulf has a 380hp engine with a five inch exhaust, and that's an awful lot of incoming water.

The lifeboatman didn't hesitate for a moment, but jumped straight into the bilge space, where I passed him various bits and pieces to cram into the split. Heeventually rammed an inflatable marker buoy up the exhaust from the outside, successfully stemming the flow.

At the same time the lifeboat had manoeuvred into a position to tow, and within a very short time we were safely tied alongside in Swanage. where a powerful petrol-driven pump was put aboard and quickly had us dried out.

One of the lifeboat crew arrived with a car tyre inner tube and, securing one end over the exhaust stub with a hose clip, held the other end over the gunwale to stop all further water ingress.

All of the party had a most exciting day out, albeit not quite what they had in mind. They were all most impressed by the swiftness with which we had been rescued and the calm, positive manner which marked the whole episode.

Two weeks later they came back so that they could actually dive off Durleston head and we were able to talk over the rescue - and after a couple of weeks to reflect they were even more full of praise for the lifeboat crew.

Things could have been so different. Weather, speed and cool professionalism had turned what could have been a tragic incident into an exciting day out to be discussed over a pint.

Even more importantly twelve enthusiastic young people have not been terrified into giving up their chosen sport but have been able soberly to think about what might have been and gain from their experiences.

A hearty thank you from all of us.

Peter Gough, Beowulf The station's account.., Swanage, 23 June 1996 Cause of service: Leaks or swamping Type of casualty: Diver support craft Weather: Cloudless sky; very good visibility; wind Force 3; sea slight Deputy Launching Authority contacted by Coastguard at 1307 with request for immediate launch to assist vessel Beowulf reported sinking and about to abandon ship to south of Anvil Point. Inshore lifeboat arrived on scene at 1320.

Fishing vessel Curly G, a rigid inflatable and another fishing vessel on scene.

Inshore lifeboat picked up five divers from the water.

The rigid inflatable and Curly G picked up the remainder, total 12. Took them to Swanage boat park.

All-weather lifeboat towed casualty and two crew members of Beowulf to Swanage slipway..