Marginal conditions ^J for D class rescue On Easter Sunday morning last year Mablethorpe's D class inshore lifeboat saved two fishermen in conditions which were on the absolute limits for the class. The successful service earned her helmsman, Tom Freeman, the RNLI's Bronze Medal-the first to be awarded to anyone at the lifeboat station.The station was first alerted at 0620 on 12 April 1998 by the Coastguard, asking them to launch to the aid of Lark, a 17ft fishing boat which had broken down in the surf off Saltfleet Haven some five miles to the north of the station.

After assessing the conditions, which were marginal for a D class, the lifeboat launched into an onshore Force 6 to 7 and a breaking 10ft sea.

Toadd to the crew's problems the air temperature was at around freezing point.

Eight shore helpers were needed to ready the boat at the shoreline and finally, at 0632, she was able to head out through the surf, which extended a quarter of a mile offshore. She then gained some sea-room before heading north towards the casualty's position, picking her way through the seas and swell.

Meanwhile a Coastguard Auxiliary team had made their way to the scene by road and could see the lifeboat making her way through the breaking seas. Directing her in towards the casualty they estimated the seas at 15ft, and warned her to exercise extreme caution and to stand-off if necessary.

Lark had tried to anchor but had lost her ground tackle and was now helpless as she drifted south, being set inshore by the wind and seas.

She was first spotted when only about a quarter of a mile away, when both boats were on the crest of a wave, lying beam-on to the seas about 100 yards inside Wind NNW Force 6 to 7 15ft swell the surf tine.

Helmsman Tom Freeman had to approach her very carefully, and passed close along her windward side to size up the situation.

He decided it would be both quicker and safer to pass a towiine to Lark and take her clear of the surf, rather than attempt a dangerous transfer and then take the two men ashore through aquarter-of-a-mile of breaking surf.

By running past inshore of the casualty and then rounding up into the seas the tow line was passed by crew member Ian Finnis and the weight of the tow taken up as gently as possible in the circumstances.

The plan was to take the casualty out through the surf and then hand the tow over to the Humber lifeboat, which had already been alerted, so that she could take the casualty to Grimsby.

Getting out through the surf was not easy, as the natural agility of the D class was hampered by the weight of the tow, but Tom was able to manage it and then maintain a north-easterly heading at about three or four knots to await the arrival of Humber's Severn.

She arrived at 0750 to find the Mablethorpe lifeboat some three miles off Saltfleet and 'treading water' in 'scruffy' conditions, as her coxswain put it.

While the D class heid her course and speed the Severn took off the two survivors, and then the lifeboats changed roles to transfer the tow.

The Severn held position, virtually stopped on a northerly heading, while the inshore lifeboat manoeuvred alongside. The first attempt was thwarted when the Severn rolled heavily and pushed the inflatable aside, but a different plan worked first time.

A spare length of line was attached to the D's towing bridle and the free end then passed to the Severn. As she took up the weight the bridle was released - and the Severn now had the tow.

As the Humber lifeboat set off for Grimsby with Lark and the two survivors Helmsman Freeman turned for home. The seas were such that he could not take the lifeboat straight downwind, having to zigzag to keep the waves on the quarters.

Eventually she reached home and, riding in on the backs of the largest waves, she was safely beached and recovered at 0836, Conditions throughout the service were on the very limits for a small inshore lifeboat and even Tom Freeman had to admit afterwards that 'in 18 years of service I've never been out in seas like that - and I really don't like the idea of going out in seas like that again!' Coxswain Brian Bevan of the Humber lifeboat was more succinct. 'It wasn't ILB weather' was his considered view..