On a day when the highest wave ever recorded off the western shores of Ireland tipped 20.4m, Fenit lifeboat crew were called into action

On 13 December 2011, with a violent storm force 11 raging, the Trent class lifeboat Robert Hywell Jones Williams, with Coxswain John Moriarty in charge, headed into turbulent seas at 1.03pm. Nobody thought that anyone would be at sea and Lifeboat Operations Manager Gerard O’Donnell recalls: ‘These were the most severe weather conditions I can ever remember a lifeboat putting to sea in from Fenit Harbour.’

Sheltering from the atrocious conditions, just 14 miles away in Brandon Bay, was the 91m chemical tanker Forth Fisher but its anchor had started to drag.

The tanker’s nine crew tried to haul the anchor up but then discovered an engine-room fire. As they fought the fire they alerted Valentia Coast Guard and then gingerly made their way northwards at 4 knots towards the entrance to the River Shannon.

In just the first few hundred metres between their afloat mooring in Fenit Harbour and Little Samphire Island Lighthouse, the six lifeboat crew, seated and belted, were battling through the ferocious winds and 9m swell. An hour later, just off Kerry Head, the seas were over 12m high and visibility was down to 1 mile in the heavy hail showers. Coxswain Moriarty says: ‘We could just see the tanker in the murky conditions but even then, as we were pitching and rolling in the phenomenal seas, we kept losing sight of her so we made contact with the Captain on the radio.’

Fortunately they had managed to extinguish the fire but the Coast Guard asked if the lifeboat could escort them back into the Shannon Estuary in case they encountered further mechanical difficulties. After another hour the tanker reached the sheltered waters close to Scattery Island. At 3.15pm the lifeboat headed back home through the unabated weather.

As it entered Tralee Bay, the huge swell knocked the lifeboat down on its port side, temporarily losing steerage and swamping the decks. The Coxswain quickly regained control and a short time later, at 5.51pm, the crew arrived safely back at their berth, although the Trent had suffered some damage to the forward deck and anchor stowage. Mercifully the crew were none the worse for wear.

In a Letter of Appreciation, the RNLI’s Chief Executive Paul Boissier congratulated the crew ‘for their courage in putting to sea in such terrible conditions’.

Gerard O’Donnell concluded: ‘Thankfully the crew didn’t come face to face with the 20.4m wave but the conditions were still extremely hazardous and the violent conditions were too severe for the crew to go on deck. Bearing in mind what the crew had just been through, it was unbelievable that their main concern when they returned was whether the lifeboat had suffered any damage. I felt humbled and proud to be part of the Fenit lifeboat team that day.’