Putting training into practice The crew atWeston-super-Mare were training in the Atlantic 75 lifeboat Coventry and Warwickshire on 8 June when they diverted to a real shout. A crew of five on a yacht requested assistance because of engine problems. Within two minutes the lifeboat reached the yacht, rigged a tow and took the yacht to safety. It was the first shout for Weston's newest crew member, Claire Coode, who said: 'We were just preparing to train for this type of incident when we found ourselves doing the real thing!'Muddy waters Weston-super-Mare's D class Faith rescued two tourists who had ventured onto the area's notorious mud with an incoming tide on 11 July. The couple from Bristol got into trouble after one of them injured an arm, soon tiring in the mud. The lifeboat came to their rescue after 999 calls from concerned members of the public. Just the day before, three other tourists had been rescued from the mud. Crew Member Liam McDermott said: 'Mud walkers nearly always become tired, dehydrated and sun burnt and when the tide turns it becomes increasingly difficult to return safely to shore.' Where there's The Will there's a way Superintendent Coxswain Dave Steenvoorden and crew saved the lives of three fishermen on 11 January in the Severn class lifeboat The Will. In a strong gale and darkness, David tried various manoeuvres to get close enough to the casualty to pass a tow. David persisted and eventually brought the vessel to safety after a 14-hour service.

The RNLI Chairman sent Dave a letter of appreciation, commending him for his 'exemplary boat handling, seamanship and leadership'.Never off duty The crew of Lytham St Annes were on passage from Ramsey on the Isle of Man on 1 February, collecting the relief Mersey class lifeboat Margaret Jean, when they intercepted a telephone conversation between the Coastguard and a Belgian fishing vessel. The lifeboat was alongside within 20 minutes for a medical emergency. In rough seas, Second Coxswain John Atkinson manoeuvred the lifeboat close to the casualty and Second Mechanic Gary Bird jumped aboard, treated a badly injured man and prepared him for winching to a helicopter.

Survivor story After being rescued by Tramore's lifeboat on 26 March, Rob Howorth thanked the RNLI for saving his life: 'I was playing on my friend's jetski inTramore bay, when it stopped running, leaving me in the water. Although I had a wetsuit and lifejacket on, I soon became very cold. Some very kind person noticed me, perhaps because I had been in the same place too long and rang the lifeboat at Tramore.

'They came and got me out in minutes. When I was in the boat I felt worse and they kept me warm and gave me oxygen. They then rang an ambulance... the doctors said my temperature was 22°C and any longer I would have died. I was unconscious for 5 hours. I also hurt my leg-1 didn't feel that until I warmed up! 'A million "thank yous" to the RNLI and the people who helped me ... I would not be here today but for them.' Power cut In winds of force 10-12, heavy squalls and seas of 8-1 Om, the Portpatrick lifeboat Mary Irene Millar launched to a fishing vessel with electrical failure. It was 12.55am on 8 January. Over two hours later, the lifeboat found the casualty after it fired red flares. The crew displayed great stamina to escort the fishing vessel to safety at Bangor, arriving seven hours after launching.THE LIFEBOAT B class Atlantic 75 lifeboat B-742 Douglas Paley Funding: A gift from Mrs Evelyn Anne Paley, in memory of her late husband Air Commodore Douglas Paley THE CREW Helmsman Gary Stanbury Crew Members Andrew Hallet and Martin Davis LIFEBOAT STATION Established: 1825 Previous RNLI Medals: 23 Silver and seven Bronze THE CASUALTY Crew of three on a 4.5m motor boat, Kasam Position: Southern part of the Bideford Bar THE CONDITIONS Weather: Dry, cold Visibility: Dark Wind: South easterly force 2-3 Sea state: 2-3m waves on the Bideford BarAn evening's fishing aboard a motorboat took a grim turn for two men and a teenage boy on the evening of 22 January 2005. The trio were in the darkness near the mouth of the River Taw at Appledore when their vessel, Kasam, suffered engine failure.

Although they had deployed an anchor, the boat was dragged by the ebbing tide out of the River Taw towards the Bideford Bar.

With no radio to alert the Coastguard, the anxious crew fired a red parachute flare. A member of the public onshore spotted the signal and contacted the Coastguard.

Gary Stanbury, a member of the Appledore all weather lifeboat crew and Helmsman of the inshore lifeboat, was watching television at home with his wife when his pager beeped. The Coastguard had requested the launch of the all weather lifeboat and Gary was the first to reach the station. He had a quick discussion with Deputy Launching Authority David Maxwell and Deputy Second Coxswain Owen Atkinson when they arrived soon after.

'When we were told of the Kasam's position we knew the water would be too shallow for the all weather lifeboat and decided to launch the inshore boat first,' said Gary.

Gary launched the B class Atlantic 75 lifeboat Douglas Paley at 7.29pm with Crew Members Andrew Hallet and Martin Davis.

Martin had been enjoying a meal in a local pub when his pager went off. 'I left my girlfriend and half a roast duck behind,' he said. Martin operated the radio aboard the lifeboat, while Andrew navigated and held the searchlight. Five minutes after the launch of the B class, the all weather Tyne class lifeboat George Gibson was launched to provide back up.

Gary and his crew headed for Kasam's last reported position. He could see that the conditions were going to make for a difficult rescue: waves as high as 3m were breaking on the Bideford Bar. He filled the lifeboat's ballast tanks with water to steady her. Martin heard from the Coastguard that the stricken vessel was now being overcome with large breaking waves.

As they reached the Inner Pulley buoy, the lifeboat crew spotted a light shining through the gloom: the searchlight beam of the Kasam. Gary requested that Swansea Coastguard task an RAF search and rescue helicopter from nearby Royal Marine Barracks Chivenor, in case any casualties needed to be airlifted. At first, the Helmsman headed in a south westerlydirection, straight for the motorboat, but he became concerned that he would run the lifeboat aground in the shallow water. He decided to head further out to sea, until he was just north of the Kasam. As he approached, battling against 3m waves, Gary used all his efforts just to keep the lifeboat safe. 'I realised that we would be in danger of capsize if we carried on like that,' remarked Gary. 'If we had capsized there, we would not have been able to right her, because she would have been swept onto the bar.' Concerned for the safety of his crew, Gary aborted this second approach and headed past the motorboat, through an area of confused seas over the South Tail. This allowed him to approach from the west with the waves but, as he prepared to do so, Martin and Andrew voiced their concerns.

The Helmsman was able to calmly reassure the crew that, from his knowledge of the area, the approach could be carried out safely. The all weather lifeboat stood by.

Reading the pattern of the seas, Gary now made towards Kasam's light, riding on the back of a large wave. Suddenly, Martin spotted Kasam's white hull - she was lying sideways to the oncoming seas. The two men on board were trying to bail out the water that was washing over her, while the teenager was sheltering in the cabin.

Gary was particularly dependent on the help of his crew members as he got nearer.

'It really was a three-man job,' he said.

'Between you, you've got to operate the lifeboat, keep an eye on the casualty,navigate, operate the radio and check the depth of water. Andrew was my second pair of eyes, warning us of any big waves that were coming.' Gary skilfully manoeuvred alongside Kasam's starboard side and Martin instructed the crew of the Kasam to prepare to board the lifeboat. Between them, Martin and Andrew helped the first aboard, despite limited visibility. There was some light provided by the two boats, but not much,' said Gary.

The sea conditions prevented the lifeboat from staying alongside. 'If we hadstopped, the lifeboat would have been all over the place in those waves,' Gary pointed out. He powered away from Kasam, swung the lifeboat around, and approached again.

This time Martin and Andrew grabbed the teenager, who had by now emerged from the cabin.

Gary headed to sea again and approached a third time, allowing the skipper of the Kasam to climb aboard. He was reluctant to leave his vessel at the mercy of the Bar, but the lifeboat crew made it clear that lives were at risk - getting everyone to safety was the priority.

'It was far from over,' recalled Gary. 'We had to get back through the surf again, this time with a heavier boat as there were twice as many people aboard.'The lifeboat retraced its route back out to sea away from the South Tail and then into the mouth of the river. During the journey back through the darkness, the rescue helicopter radioed the lifeboat and asked if the teenager, who was showing symptoms of hypothermia and shock, should be winched up. 'I thought it was best not to hang around, so I said "no thank you",' remembered Gary, adding that the lifeboat was not far away from the lifeboat station. However, the helicopter pilot was asked to continue standing by, in case the lifeboat fell foul of the conditions.During the return passage, two large waves broke through the lifeboat, but she emerged intact with all still safely aboard. 'The lifeboat was superb throughout,' said Gary.

Having made it safely through the treacherous waves, the inshore lifeboat reached a calmer area of the channel and arrived at Appledore lifeboat station at 8pm.

The casualties were handed into the care of waiting paramedics, but Kasam did not have such a lucky escape. Appledore's all weather lifeboat crew could find no sign of her later that evening and not a trace has been found since.

'It was the most satisfying inshore rescue I've been involved with. The Bideford Bar is one of the worst bits of coastline in the country,' said Martin, who returned to his girlfriend - and roast duck - after the rescue. 'Gary showed what a good helmsman he is that night,' he added.

Tom Mansell, RNLI Deputy Divisional Inspector for the south, said: 'Gary showed determination in not only completing this service but by doing so in as safe a way as possible. He read the seas well, even though it was dark, and his decision to approach the casualty from seaward showed a complete understanding of the situation, which was the crucial factor in saving the lives of the three men.' In recognition of his outstanding seamanship, Gary Stanbury receives The Institution's Bronze Medal for Gallantry.

Crew Members Andrew Hallet and Martin Davis receive Bronze Medal service badges and certificates. Gary says he was delighted to get the award: Tm pleased for everyone involved - Martin and Andrew did really well. It was an excellent team.' See page 37 for another Appledore story - 100 years ago!Swim between the flag You'll hear again and again from RNLI Beach Lifeguards: 'Always swim where there is a lifeguard on patrol and stay inside the area marked by the red and yellow flags.' On a sunny day at Perranporth, Cornwall, a family ignored this advice to their perilOn patrol along the 3-mile stretch of beach at Perranporth, during Easter weekend on 27 March 2005, Beach Lifeguard Margh Brewer pulled over in the patrol vehicle to talk to a family with body boards. They were some distance from the flagged swimming area, so Margh strongly advised them to walk up to the lifeguarded zone. As he drove off, they appeared to be taking his advice.

Before reaching the flagged area, the family spotted a patch of sea that looked calm and soon the four of them entered the water. They were unaware that they had just entered one of the most dangerous parts of the shore: what lifeguards call a 'hole'.

Later, patrolling between the flags, Drustan Ward spotted a teenage girl running towards him: 'She had a look of horror on her face. This could only mean one thing.' Her family had been swept out to sea. She jumped in the patrol vehicle with Drustan and they drove to the scene of the incident.

Meanwhile Lifeguard Dickon Berriman helped launch the rescue watercraft (RWC) for Lifeguard Supervisor Andy Thomas.

'To the untrained eye it Looks like the safest place to swim. But it's not safe at all. You can get out of your depth very quickly whether it's flat or big surf. It acts like a river, pushing you out to sea.' Drustan Ward, Beach Lifeguard Supervisor Drustan remembers being amazed at how quickly the RWC arrived on the scene: 'It's an amazing piece of kit - incredibly fast.' Only the father and another daughter were still in trouble as the mother had reached safety.

On the RWC, Andy had trouble locating the pair in the choppy seas. From the roof of his vehicle, Drustan used signal flags to direct his fellow lifeguard straight to the pair, now more than 150m from the shore. Even as an experienced lifeguard, Andy was surprised how far and how quickly the current had taken out the pair.

When he reached them they were Very upset, panicked and tired'. Andy picked up the little girl first and took her to the shore. He then went back to the father. The man had let go of his body board, which would have helped him stay afloat, but Andy reached him in time and took him to shore. Andy later commented: 'If we hadn't been there, I believe they would both have certainly drowned.' With the family reunited safely on shore, Drustan assessed their condition. After their ordeal, the family were understandably in shock and shed some tears. They thanked the lifeguards profusely and admitted that they rued their decision to ignore the advice to 'swim between the flags'.Unseen dangers The sea looked calm and safe at Forth beach, Cornwall, on 18 June 2005 but for two tired swimmers, the winds and currents were life threateningThe public were enjoying a sunny day at the beach, unaware that a boy and a girl were slowly drifting out towards the surf. RNLI Beach Lifeguard Matthew Roach had spotted the pair as soon as he started his patrol between the flags. 'From my first scan of the water, I realised they were weak swimmers.' Matthew drove the patrol vehicle over to a small sandbank to get a better view of the pair. The vigilant lifeguard realised some action was needed; he radioed base to say he was going in.

While he was still getting his rescue board the situation became more serious.

Although the boy was near enough to a sandbank to stand up, he hadn't realised this and was beginning to panic. Matthew then saw the girl be hit by a wave and go under.

Soon, both children had given up swimming against the current and were swept out into the breaking swell at the mouth of the bay.

As Matthew paddled through the swell on his board over the breaking waves, the girl was submerged for the second time.

Matthew recalls: 'As I approached, the boy was screaming for help but the young girl had her head tilted back and was barely afloat.

She was clearly the immediate priority.' He reached under the water and hooked the girl up onto the rescue board. At the same time, Matthew was calling to the boy, reassuring the child that he'd be with him too in seconds.

Keeping hold of the girl on the board, Matthew could now assist her brother, telling him to grab the front handle of the board.

The boy managed to take hold and Matthew started to paddle towards the sandbank, waves breaking over the three. He reassured the children that there wasn't much further to go.

Suddenly the boy gave up and let go of the board. Matthew reacted quickly, reaching over the girl to drag her brother, too, up onto the board. Holding the girl with one hand and the boy with the other, Matthew gripped the rescue board with his legs and let the surf wash them back towards the sandbank.

Once back on dry land, the children recovered quickly. They were met on shore by more RNLI beach lifeguards and the father.

No one on the beach had realised quite how close to tragedy they had come. Peter Dawes, Beach Lifeguard Manager (Operations), later stated: This incident demonstrates the need to take care in the water at all times, even when conditions appear to be safe, and the clear benefits of having trained lifeguards on a beach.'A combination of fair weather and thunderstorms made for a particularly busy weekend for the RNLI in May 2005. In two days, RNLI crews launched more than 75 times and rescued around 100 peopleOn 7 May sailors were caught out by strong winds during the Coldhanger sailing club race, Blackwater, Essex. Eight of them capsized and were thrown into the water. West Mersea's Atlantic 75 came to the rescue with the Coldhanger rescue boat team.

The fickle weather prompted three more shouts for West Mersea on the same day. In the first, low winds spoiled the fun of a windsurfer who then attempted to swim ashore. Two sailors off Coopers beach and three people on a yacht that had engine failure were also rescued by West Mersea lifeboat.

The weather caused trouble on a larger scale on the Forth that weekend, where six lifeboats went to the aid of stricken yachts, capsized dinghies and stranded individuals. Five lifeboats from Anstruther, Dunbar and North Berwick launched just after 5pm on 8 May to go to the aid of 20 people in a regatta, after their dinghies capsized during a sudden squall. Within half an hour all were safe, with no apparent injuries. Anstruther inshore lifeboat also fitted in another rescue on the way home, towing a small sailing boat with engine failure into Anstruther harbour.

Queensferrry lifeboat was also out on the Forth in the morning, helping a yacht skipper who had broken his collarbone.

Lifeboat crew boarded the vessel and lowered the sails to bring her under control. They towed her safely to Port Edgar marina where an ambulance took the casualty to hospital. The crew were out again on the next afternoon. First, they rescued a mother and daughter who were stranded by the rising tide and then they escorted a 5m motorboat with engine failure past the Forth Road Bridge and back to Port Edgar.

On the Saturday, one man from Coventry got into trouble even before he set off, when he attempted to launch his 4.5m speedboat from Burnham jetty, Somerset, just before high water Burnham-on-Sea Exmouth and in rough seas.

The boat was soon swamped and the launching trailer was ' swept off the side of the jetty by the waves. The man was unharmed.The Burnham-on-Sea lifeboat crew kitted up and entered the water to hold the boat on the slipway against a strong side current and waves. They attached holding lines to the vessel to secure it until the tide turned about an hour later. (As readers of summer 2005's Offshore News will know, it is vital to check local conditions before trying to launch a boat in unfamiliar surroundings.) Other services that weekend included lifeboats from Exmouth and Torbay attending a dive boat in trouble 20 miles east of the River Exe at Saturday lunchtime. One of the divers had suffered panic attack and banged his head. During the incident a rope got twisted around the boat's propeller.

A student fell 30m down a cliff face near South Stack, Holyhead, and lifeboats from Trearddur Bay and Holyhead launched to assist. Trearddur Bay Helmsman Steve Rogerson, also a paramedic, swam to the shore to treat the casualty who had suffered head injuries and multiple broken bones.

Ten people were rescued by New Brighton inshore lifeboat, Merseyside on Sunday 8 May from two yachts.

Across the Irish Sea, crews from Larne and Kinsale both kept casualties afloat through heavy use of salvage pumps.

For sea safety advice, call the RNLI helpline on 0800 328 0600 RNLI lifeboat crews help ensure the safety of thousands of people visiting and using the sea 24/7,365 days a year. In this exceptionally busy weekend, they saved the lives of 14 people.

Initial reports from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents telt us that no lives were lost at sea in the UK and Republic of Ireland from 7-8 May 2005._Foal takes a tumble On a day out taking underwater wildlife photographs near Forth Ceiriad, Gwynedd, a father and son spotted a stranded foal that had fallen down a steep cliff.