Pollution disaster prevented Thanks on Vellum awarded to St. Davids coxswain Another pollution incident on the Welsh coast was averted when the St Davids lifeboat pulled a stranded oil tanker off a beach in a Gale Force 9.SIn a long and arduous service in breaking waves in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve 1999, Coxswain Malcolm Gray used the experience he gained in a 20-year career working on tugs, to assist the 1500-ton tanker Blackfriars.

She had been anchored in St Brides Bay when the anchor cable parted and she was swept ashore on Musselwhite Sands.

The St Davids Tyne class lifeboat, Garside was launched at 0026 and the crew found the Blackfriars half an hour later. She was lying across the beach and was lucky not to have been carried onto the rocks.

An RAF helicopter evacuated three of the crew, leaving the tanker's master and three others aboard to try to salvage her.

The south-westerly wind had increased from Force 7 to Gale Force 8-9, with a swell of 3-4rn.

After standing by. waiting for a tug for nearly two hours, Coxswain Gray noticed that with the flooding tide the tanker was being bounced further up the beach.

Difficult Realising that it would be extremely difficult to refloat the Blackfriars if she was allowed to remain aground at high water, as they were at the peak of spring tides, he asked the master if he could attempt to connect a tow.

The lifeboat crew could not use a speed line because of the risk of setting off a gas explosion, so the coxwain was forced to enter the surf to pass a heaving line to the stern of the tanker.

Operating in less than 2m of water, Crew Members Jeffrey Thompson and Paul Taylor were up in the bow, with Taylor holding onto HtackfriarsThompson while the latter threw the line. The first throw missed.

The second attempt succeeded and Coxswain Gray went astern just as the first of three large waves broke over the deck of the lifeboat before the power could take effect.

She powered astern through the next two waves and, once clear of the beach, the coxswain turned the lifeboat into the sea and transferred the lines to the stern.

The lifeboat continued to pull on the stern of the tanker for the next hour, using 400m of tow lines. The wind and tide continually set the boat towards the cliffs 200m away and Coxswain Gray was forced to reposition several times Unsure At 0344 the Blackfriars transferred the tow to her bow and. at 0420, Coxswain Gray succeeded in pulling her off the beach. The tanker managed to start her engines but the master was unsure how much damage had been done, so they left the tow rigged and kept the tanker heading into the wind while staying in the lee of the land.

The Angle lifeboat, Owen and Anne Aisher, arrived at about 0500 and circled the tanker for signs of pollution. Although the Blackfriars was in ballast she still carried around 18,000 litres of gas fuel oil but there were no obvious leaks.

The area is especially sensitive to pollution risks following the Sea Empress incident and the delay in getting a tug to respond to the Blackfriars has since caused concern.

It was 0815 before a tug was able to take over and the two lifeboats could return to station. By 0931 the St Davids lifeboat was once again ready for service.The Lifeboat Tyne class 47-026 Garstde The Crew Vellum Coxswain Malcolm Gray for his 'tenacity, determination and seamanship... Any miscalculation could have resulted in the lifeboat being beached or grounded on the rocks or even capsized.' Veto Servce Certificates Crew Members: Michael Phillips, Clive Hayes, Jeffrey Thompson, Paul Taylor. Robin Copley and dndy Pearce Chief of Operations ' Letter of Thanks Honorary Secretary Jeffrey Davies for his commitment in staying in the boathouse throughout the service Above right - the stricken gas fuel oil tanker, Blackf riars.