Exmouth Helmsman Roger Jackson thought he would never launch a lifeboat again. But now four young men owe him their lives

Exmouth is a popular seaside destination but on the afternoon of 23 October 2011 the Exe Estuary was no place for swimmers or leisurecraft. Near gale onshore winds and an ebbing tide made for an awesome sight. Helmsman Roger Jackson watched from Exmouth Lifeboat Station with some fellow crew members. ‘We were talking about how difficult it would have been to launch our inshore lifeboat – if we got a call, how would we get through the surf?’ recalls Roger. ‘We agreed we’d need extra help to steady the D class in the waves as the tractor reversed her into the sea. That’s how rough it was.’

It wasn’t long before the volunteer crew had to put their theory to the test. They saw a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) heading out to sea. ‘We assumed they would realise how rough it was and turn back,’ says Roger. The RIB had not long disappeared from view when someone shouted through the window.

A member of the public had noticed that it had overturned. As Roger and the crew dashed outside, their pagers rang out – someone else had alerted the Coastguard. Roger knew that the sea conditions were so challenging that launching would push the D class to its operational limits and possibly beyond. But he also knew a boat had overturned and lives were at risk. Together with fellow volunteers Andy Williams and Mark Champion, he grabbed his lifejacket.

That Roger is still able to serve as a crew member is, in his own words, ‘very lucky’. Just over 10 years ago he severely damaged his feet and legs in a paragliding accident. ‘I was in hospital and the staff called my mum and dad and said I was probably going to have both legs amputated,’ says Roger. ‘But after extreme amounts of surgery, over more than 2 years, they were saved. When you are critically ill like that, you have to have goals to get you through. Mine was to get back on the lifeboat crew.’ A decade on, Roger faced another challenge of a lifetime – helming a 5m inflatable lifeboat through huge breaking waves to rescue an overboard crew.

As he, Andy and Mark prepared for launch, the station Coxswain/Mechanic, Tim Mock, arrived. Tim paged more lifeboat crew for a launch of the station’s all-weather lifeboat, to offer support. Meanwhile, the D class was pushed into the sea on its carriage by tractor, using the technique the crew had discussed and Roger powered her from her carriage.

‘The waves were huge,’ says Roger. ‘Andy and Mark were brilliant because they had to work so hard at putting all their weight at the front of the lifeboat as we climbed. The RIB had gone over because it was climbing such steep waves and flipped. We’d have done the same if my crew hadn’t done such a good job.’ 

Launching and negotiating the surf were difficult and dangerous enough but the lifeboat crew hadn’t reached the casualties yet. The waves were getting bigger – in the main part of the channel, they were steep and up to 3m high. It was difficult to see much and to hear the radio so Roger didn't know exactly where the upturned RIB was.

As the lifeboat crew headed further offshore in search of the casualties, waves with breaking crests reached 4m. Roger had to use full power to climb the face of each wave, punch through its crest as it broke over the crew, and drop sharply into a trough, again and again. ‘It was all about training and timing,’ says Roger. Then, through the wind-driven spray, the lifeboat crew saw the RIB. Upside down, it was being tossed around mercilessly. Its crew, four young men in wetsuits, were desperately clinging on to keep themselves afloat. They were in danger of becoming separated from their vessel and each other, which could have been fatal given the sea state. They only had one lifejacket between them.

Roger and his crew needed to get the men aboard urgently, but they faced a new obstacle. ‘There were fenders, ropes and buckets floating around. If we’d got any of that tangled up in our propellers we would have gone over too, because it was engine power that was keeping us stable,’ explains Roger. Going alongside and helping the casualties off directly was therefore too dangerous. So Roger managed to get within 5m of the upturned craft while Andy and Mark shouted instructions to the four men. ‘The plan was for the lads to swim out to us one by one, and I’d take us close enough to pick them up,’ says Roger. As the inshore lifeboat crew worked away, the Exmouth all-weather lifeboat stood by in case the plan went wrong.

Roger expertly brought the lifeboat close enough again and again. Andy and Mark worked hard to pull each casualty from the water before returning to their ‘trimming’ duties: keeping the lifeboat stable with their weight. The casualties were suffering from cold and shock, and the lifeboat crew were keen to get them to shore for medical attention. Despite seven men being onboard now, Roger skilfully dodged and rode the waves towards the beach, while Andy and Mark constantly trimmed the weight distribution to keep the lifeboat stable. As the beach came into view, Roger knew that trying to get the lifeboat back onto a carriage would be difficult, timeconsuming and dangerous.He decided to deliberately run her aground. 

‘I had to get those casualties to shore quickly. So I found a set of waves, got on top of one, and rode it in as it was breaking. We landed right up on the beach in front of over 100 people who were watching. They gave us a round of applause! It was a great moment for Exmouth Lifeboat Station as a whole and, of course for the casualties – because they survived. We’d only been out for 20 minutes or so, but we were physically and mentally drained.’

Roger has been awarded the Bronze Medal for Gallantry for his exemplary command and leadership, boathandling and tenacity. Mark and Andy received the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum for their key part in the rescue. ‘It is a great team here,’ concludes Roger. ‘Without the support of the crew and the RNLI’s staff after my accident, I would not have had the determination to get back on the lifeboat. And so to have carried out a rescue like that, after everything, makes me very proud.’