A cargo ship on passage to Egypt got into trouble off the Devon coast in heavy seas and gale force winds when her 5,260-tonne load of timber shifted, causing a severe list.

Salcombe and Torbay’s all-weather lifeboats launched just after 7.30pm on 13 January, reaching the Ice Prince 2 hours later. The Coastguard airlifted 12 crew to hospital, including one man with a broken leg.

Torbay lifeboat made dozens of approaches and evacuated the remaining eight crew resulting in the award of an RNLI Silver Medal for Gallantry to her Coxswain. (See the Lifeboat Summer 2008 issue for the full story.)