Three fishermen saved with just minutes to spareA;L long service in a severe gale and heavy, broken seas has earned Achill Island's Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic, Brian Patten, the RNLI's Silver Medal. The remainder of the crew will receive framed Chairman's Letters of Appreciation and Silver Medal Service Certificates.

With seas constantly sweeping the lifeboat and casualty Coxswain Patten had taken the Arun alongside a 75ft fishing vessel, passed a tow line and snatched her to safety just minutes before she would have drifted ashore on an isolated rock off the Irish coast.Conditions were so bad at the scene, with 47- knot winds and two tidal streams converging off a rocky headland that the lifeboats engine bilge was flooded and toe rails and stanchions smashed by the sheer weight of water. The crew were thrown to the deck by the waves as they broke over the lifeboat and yet were still able to pass a tow no less than three times.

The lifeboat's involvement began at 0430 on Saturday 27 February when the MRSC at Malin Head notified the station's honorary secretary that the fishing vessel Carrigeen Bayhad suffered engine failure off Achill Head. At that time she was just 3 miles offshore, drifting down onto the rock-strewn headland in the severe west-southwest gale.The location is one avoided by local people as two strong tidal streams meet off the headland, causing irregular breaking seas.

That night those seas were being heaped up into 8m high breakers by the severe gale force winds.

The Arun, Soldian, launched at 0450 and began the 14 mile passage to the casualty. Uppermost in the crews' minds was the proximity of Carrigeen Bay to the rocks at Carrickakin of the tip of Achill Head and her rate of drift towards them.

Coxswain Patten pushed Soldian through the darkness as hard as he dared - the 7m seas on the port bow giving the crew a very rough ride as the Arun pitched and rolled at maximum speed.

Approaching the casualty's position the crew could see nothing in the pitch dark, and the radar screen was picking up only wave 'clutter' -which was hardly surprising with seas 7-8m high and the radar scanner less than 6m above sea level.

Flare Radio communication was finally established, and the skipper of the fishing boat was asked to fire a white parachute flare so that the lifeboat could locate her. The flare was whipped away so quickly by the gale force wind that it was of no help, so the final approach through the mountainous seas and complete black-out had to be made using the lifeboats VHP radio direction finder.

With no engines the casualty was rapidly running out of electrical power, and her final radio transmission was to the effect there was only sufficient power left to illuminate the wheelhouse.

Fortunately during the conversations the lifeboat crew had learned that Carrigeen Bay had some large tyres on board and the skipper had been asked to rig one on a bridle at the bow of the casualty. The stretch in this large tyre would help to reduce the 'snubbing' or snatching which would threaten the tow line as the strain was taken up in the big seas.

When Soldian reached the casualty at Island station Carrigeen Bay repaired arrived 10000530 she was a mere 600 yards from the rocks of Carrickakin, with a recently arrived Irish Air Corps helicopter hovering overhead and illuminating the scene.

Carrigeen Bay had attempted to anchor, but the anchor was dragging and she was still being swept ashore with wind and sea on her starboard quarter.

It was soon obvious that it would be impossible to transfer the three crew safely on to the lifeboat so Coxswain Patten decided that the only option was to tow the fishing vessel clear of danger.

Two tidal streams were meeting off the headland and the conditions had worsened still further.

Violent seas up to 8m high were now sweeping both lifeboat and casualty, and would do so for the next hour.

Heaving line Brian Patten took Soldian to the north of the casualty and approached her from the leeward side, easing up to her port quarter with crew members John Johnston and Tommy Kilbane clinging to the starboard rail at the bow ready to pass a line.

John Johnston managed to land a heaving line on Camgeen Bay's aft deck at the first attempt, but the casualty's crew could not retrieve it. Liam Fallen threw another and this time the line was passed successfully. This was no mean achievement as the lifeboat crew were repeatedly being knocked to the deck by the seas breaking over the top of the wheelhouse.

As the casualty's crew took the line towards the bow Brian Patten eased SoW/analong her leeward side until she lay just forward of the fishing vessel and head to wind.

With the tow line attached to the large tyre the next problem was releasing the casualty from her anchor cable. She had no power to veer or cut the cable so Soldian took the strain and applied sufficient power to break the cable. Only then could the full scope of the tow be paid out -with the crew again exposed on the aft deck - and the slow tow away from danger started.

Later calculations showed that Camgeen Bay/was probably some eight minutes away from being swept ashore.

Five minutes after taking up the tow a huge sea hit the lifeboat and fishing vessel, breaking the tow line. The sea was so big that it forced a considerable amount of water into the lifeboat's engine room through the ventilator and also smashed the starboard toe rail and guard rail stanchions.

Both vessels were still only 600 yards from the vicious lee shore as the crew returned to the aft deck to repeat the tow line manoeuvre.

Despite the darkness the crew could see the waves breaking against the rocks of Carickakin - when they were not themselves under water.

With exceptional seamanship Brian Platten brought Soldian around in a repeat of the earlier manoeuvre and then held her in position for an agonising five minutes while Camgeen Bay's crew secured the line.

Low water With the tow re-established the long tow home began at about 5 knots. Good progress was made, despite the terrible conditions, until at 0825 the tow parted again. For the third time Coxswain Patten managed to pass a tow line without the two vessels coming into contact and the tow resumed.

With low water approaching and seas already breaking heavily on the bar it would not be possible to enter A chill Sound, so the lifeboat took Camgeen Bay up into the shelter of Clare island, they arrived at 1000, intending to wait for more water.

However while waiting for the tide the casualty's engineer received enough information via his mobile phone to effect repairs and the fishing vessel was able to reach Cloghmore pier under her own power, escorted by the lifeboat.The Lifeboat Arun class 52-10 Soldian The Crew Silver Medal Coxn /Asst Mech Brian Patten Chairman's Letter Medal Service Certificate Mechanic Stephen McNulty Crew Members Thomas Kilbane John Johnston Raymond McKenna Liam Fallon Edward Corrigan.