Two saved by brothers andjifeboat The quick thinking of two young men who were about to take a swim in the Teign estuary undoubtedly saved the life of at least one of two people who were thrown into the water when their small outboardpowered boat capsized on 21 August last year. Their actions led to a framed letter of thanks from David Acland, the RNLI's Chairman.

Crew member Adam Truhol of Teigmouth lifeboat also received a letter of thanks from the Chief of Operations for his part in the rescue.

The two young men, brothers Luke (19) and Daniel (17) McCarthy were about to take a swim in the estuary at 2030 when Luke saw a small boat capsize and sink, throwing one of the two occupants into the water while the other scrambled aboard a moored boat.

Quickly fetching Daniel and the oars for their 11 ft dinghy they rowed out towards the man on the boat. By hugging the shore they were able to made use of a back-eddy until they were ready to pull out into the strong spring tidal stream-which was running at 5 or 6 knots - and be swept down to the first man.

Taking him aboard their dinghy they continued down-tide to search for second man-finding him clinging to the mooring chain of another boat and obviously in distress and tiring rapidly.

As the brothers rowed towards him he let go and disappeared, but Daniel was able to grab his arm and take him round to the transom of the dinghy.

As there were already three people in the small boat the man could not be brought aboard so Luke began to row towards Shaldon beach with him Lifeboathanging on to the transom.

Teignmouth's Atlantic had arrived by this time, but with the strong tidal stream sweeping through the crowded moorings she was having great difficulty manoeuvring - eventually fouling her propeller on a yacht mooring.

Once she had been extricated from the mooring the Atlantic moved in to pick up the man in the water at the stern of the dinghy, crew member Adam Truhol going in to the water to help him as he was too exhausted to help himself.

In the process of getting the man aboard Adam lost contact with the lifeboat and was swept away downstream.

However the two brothers, now freed of the weight of the casualty on their transom, rowed quickly after him and, with Adam now hanging on to their transom, began to make for the slacker water on the Shaldon side of the river.

The lifeboat joined them there and picked up both Adam and the 'dry' casualty before landing the two survivors at Shaldon and returning across the river to her station..