Epic rescue at RosslareA French trawler with five crew was drifting without power 14 mites south of Tuskar Rock Lighthouse on the south coast of Ireland so the Arun class Mabel Williams slipped her moorings at 2.37pm on 5 November 2003.

The crew were soon seated and strapped in, ready for a rough passage in gale force winds.

In order to reach the casualty quickly, Brendan took the lifeboat on the most direct route possible into the weather. They passed through a notorious area of overfalls known as the Bailies, where a shelving bottom causes steep waves and turbulent seas.

Brendan recalls that he had to slow the lifeboat down to 12 knots 'to prevent excessively severe slamming.'The conditions worsened, with huge waves and a cross swell.

The sea state made visibility less than two miles so Brian Kehoe, operating the radar, had a key role to play in detecting the casualty, especially as the fishermen had little or no English with which to explain their position. Brian first made intermittent radar contact with the French trawler,^//, from 3 miles away. As they neared, the crew saw that the 24m trawler was lying beam to very heavy breaking seas. On scene, the wind was force 9 with towering waves.

Brendan decided that a tow was the best way to rescue the crew, so he skilfully manoeuvred parallel to Alf. Both vessels rolled violently, beam to the weather.

Despite this, Brendan had faith in the capabilities of the lifeboat and the crew: 'You always feel safe on the Arun and I have great confidence in the crew.' As the lifeboat drew alongside Alf, Crew Member Eamonn O'Rourke threw a heaving line successfully to the crew on the port shoulder of Alf. The Frenchmen hauled in the tow rope and secured it.

With darkness fast approaching the lifeboat took up the strain and began the long process of bringing the casualty safely about. This took half an hour and much patience. It was hazardous for the crew on deck, working in poor light and getting increasingly tired, but they persevered, Brendan stressed that the crew didn't think about how tough it was at the time: 'You're constantly aware of what's on the end of the towline; you're aware of their plight. It doesn't hit you until you get home what you've been through. Of course you sometimes feel the physical effort the following day!' The Mabel Williams towed the large trawler at 3 knots on the return journey.

They had to take particular care in the conditions as Atf had no steerage and was heavily laden with fish. Brendan took a slightly longer passage back to the station to avoid the Bailies and to gain more sea room. Four and a half hours after the tow was connected, the lifeboat neared the harbour. To reach safety, Brendan had tobring the lifeboat and tow round to port onto a westerly heading through a channel This was a dangerous manoeuvre in the dark, with the tidal stream flowing north and a sand bank, Holdens Bed shallows, lying to the north.

Suddenly the crew felt the lifeboat surge ahead and quickly realised the tow had parted. The casualty was drifting towards the bank.The crew reacted swiftly and worked hard to haul in the full length of the tow rope and prepare it again. In a great display of teamwork, when one man tired, another took over. Brendan manoeuvred the lifeboat alongside Alf, by which time the crew were ready with the heaving line and the tow was re-established. Finally the trawler was towed safely through the channel into the harbour. It had been an eight-hour service.

There was no shortage of help for the crew while berthing the casualty in Rosslare.

Many crew members, past and present, as well as other people associated with the station, gave welcome assistance. Brendan remembers: 'It was a dirty shout so it was nice to be welcomed back by so many people.' On land, the fishermen thanked the crew, through a translator. As experienced seamen they fully realised the danger they had been in and appreciated the professionalism of the lifeboat crew.

The fishermen stayed at Rosslare for a few days while their boat was repaired and then returned home back to their families at the fishing port of Les Sables d'Olonne, on the French west coast. They showed their gratitude by making the lovely gesture of sending funds to the lifeboat station for a Christmas drink or two.

Awarding the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum, Operations Director Michael Vlasto praised the crew and complimented Brendan, who displayed 'sound leadership and excellent seamanship skills and managed a difficult and arduous service in the very best traditions of the RNLI.' Brendan modestly plays down his individual role and praises the crew: 'I can't speak highly enough of the way the crew performed. They were exceptional. They gave everything, and more.' Brendan sees his award as a credit to everyone involved at the station and their families, but stresses: 'It's not about awards. We're there when things go wrong for people, there to help them out.'Log of events 2.26pm Pagers activated 2.37pm Lifeboat launched 3.55pm Arrived on scene 4.04pm Tow established 8.30pm Tow parted 8.45pm Tow retrieved and reconnected 9.30pm Casualty safely berthed 10.15pm Lifeboat refuelled and ready for serviceALL WEATHER LIFEBOAT Arun class ON-1159 (52-45) Mattel Williams Funding: RNLI general funds THE CREW Coxswain: Brendan Pitt Crew Members: Sean Boyce Brian Kehoe Keith Miller Eamonn O'Rourke Dec Ian Roche Matt Wickham ROSSLARE HARBOUR LIFEBOAT STATION Established: 1838 Previous RNLI Medals: 2 Gold, 25 Silver and 4 Bronze THE CASUALTY French 24m fishing vessel, Alf, with 5 people 12 miles south ofTuskar Rock Lighthouse, near Rosslare, Ireland THE CONDITIONS Weather: Overcast, cold Visibility: 2 miles, fading light after 4pm Wind: SSE force 9 Sea state: Turbulent, rough sea.