Braving the storm

n Members of the Port Isaac RNLI receive a cheque for £450 from the St Teath Carnival Committee along with the Sleeman family of
Michaelstow. Pictured are Paul Sleeman, Emma Braunton, Linda Sleeman, Penny Harris, Chris Wheeler, Faye Archell, Nicky Halford (St
Teath Carnival Committee), Sandy Bulgin, Bob Bulgin (Port Isaac RNLI chairman), John Brown, Damien Bolton (helmsman and training
officer), Nicki Bradbury (crew member), Del Allerton Baldwin (helmsman), Sheryl Webster and Tracy Kitto (St Teath Carnival Committee)
Picture: ADRIAN JASPER
safely over two sets of three-metre
waves as he brought it within three
metres of the cliff face and a couple
of metres from the casualties. One
was holding onto the other and an
orange rope appeared to be
tangled around them. Concerned
that the rope may get caught
around the lifeboat’s propeller if he
took the lifeboat closer, Damien
called for the men to swim to the
boat.
First wrapping the line around his
fellow casualty, one of the men
made his way to the lifeboat where
Nicola-Jane and Damien attempted
to pull him aboard. Matthew
warned that a large wave was
approaching, which then broke
over the lifeboat, filling it with water.
At the same time, the engine
stopped and the lifeboat began to
turn sideways onto the waves,
exposing the crew to the risk of
capsize.
Damien quickly restarted the
engine and applied power astern to
turn the lifeboat's bow to face the
waves. All three crew members
then worked together to get the
casualty who had reached the boat
on board. The orange rope was
attached to him and it appeared to
be connected to the man still in the
water, so Matthew secured one
end to the lifeboat.
With the confused seas and
submerged rocks, the lifeboat and
volunteer crew were operating at
their limits and, with the casualty
onboard the lifeboat deteriorating
rapidly and needing immediate
care, they had to make a quick
assessment of the situation. Having
not seen any response from the
second casualty, and since
reaching him could put everybody
on the lifeboat in more danger,
Damien decided to helm the
lifeboat away from the cliff where
the first man could be transferred
to the rescue helicopter, which was
on its way.
It was too risky to recover the
anchor, so Matthew cut the line
and Damien helmed the lifeboat
towards deeper water, pulling the
second casualty clear of the cliff as
he did so. Once away from the cliff
and out of the breaking seas, the
lifeboat crew attended the first
casualty who was drifting in and
out of consciousness. Matthew
took off his helmet and put it onto
the man’s head to prevent heat
loss.
Meanwhile, Damien pulled in the
orange line to bring the second
casualty alongside the lifeboat.
Sadly, he was not breathing and
was unresponsive and was later
declared dead.
The crew’s priority now was to
evacuate the first casualty, whose
condition was deteriorating, and
they quickly manoeuvred the
lifeboat so that he could be
winched into the rescue helicopter.
He was taken to hospital where he
subsequently made a full recovery.
n The scene of the rescue operation the day after the rescue
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