Your Shout To add your shout, write to the Editor at [email protected] or RNLI Headquarters, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ Dear Editor I am in my 90s but one thingI have never forgotten is when I ‘just went for a swim’. I was in the Army, stationed at Bournemouth and bored. One day I decided to swim between the piers. Though a poor swimmer, I was confident I could stay afloat indefinitely and thought that, in time, I swam and swam until I began to feel cold internally. I turned towards the shore but found myself struggling to breathe in the surf. I realised I might drown. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to turn on my back so I could see the waves coming and snatch breaths. At last I was through. I crawled out of the water, wobbly and heavy. I forced myself into a trot and by the time I reached my clothes I was dry and no longer shivering. What a fool I had been. The danger of surf, tide, current or cold had never occurred to me so I had told no one before I set out. It was a bright sunny day and I was just going for a swim … I watch TV’s Seaside rescue, where people, in all innocence, take appalling risks. Then I think back. It is a good thing that the RNLI has extended it services to beaches and the lower Thames. Where there’s water, there’s risk. Yours sincerely Leslie Rogers, Surrey Dear Editor I read with great interest the Autumn 2007 rescue article ‘Perilous play’. It reminded me of my time in Great Yarmouth where I met and married my wife 41 years ago. I always taught my children to respect the sea and its currents. I would also like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all the RNLI crews both past and present.

I would however like to point out that Great Yarmouth and Gorleston station is in Norfolk and not in Suffolk! Best regards Eddie Sturley (retired North Sea oilman), by email Corrections and clarifi cations In the Autumn 2007 issue we were supplied with the wrong photograph to illustrate the new Rosa Chris Beardshaw. Here is the correct one: Several kayakers wrote to tell us that the craft shown in ‘Five alive’ is suitable for use at sea but of course only with suitable training, kit and precautions. Apologies for any offence caused to the many responsible participants of this sport. Apologies to Tom Templeton for errors in ‘Rapture of the deep’. Tom clarifi ed what happened: ‘My back-up equipment was the DSMB that needed to be assembled prior to release and infl ated with the “octopus”, which then free-fl owed. I did not carry out a controlled emergency swimming ascent, but a normal ascent and only took air from my buddy when it ran out at 20m on the way to the surface from a depth of 34m.’ Dear Martin [Rudwick, Coxswain at Selsey]Words cannot express the gratitude that we feel towards you and your crew for your prompt and gallant help in extreme weather [see page 20.] We would like to give our special thanks to Second Coxswain Willy Pledger, who came aboard and gave his expert assistance and calming in? uence, which helped us to cope with the long night ahead. For such an essential service, which relies on voluntary contributions and not Government funding, we salute you and the many other RNLI personnel involved around our coast.

Yours in gratitudeRobert Keillor and Frank Barrett London.