Penlee lifeboat disaster
|
|
The Penlee lifeboat disaster of 1981 happened when the Penlee lifeboat attempted to go to the aid of a stricken freighter and was lost with all hands. It prompted a massive public appeal for the benefit of the village of Mousehole, home of the crew and where the lifeboat was based.
On the 18 December 1981, offshore winds of hurricane force 12 (beaufort scale) hit the south coast of Cornwall. The Dublin registered cargo ship, Union Star, on its maiden voyage, had developed an engine fault, was blown five miles off course and put out a distress signal. The Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne was called to her aid.
Against 80 mph winds (gusting to 95 mph) and dragging its anchor Union Star was being driven onto the rocks of Penlee Point. The Solomon Browne was launched into very difficult waters, so rough that the crew of the Royal Navy Sea King helicopter sent from RNAS Culdrose were unable to lift any of the eight crew from Union Star.
Union Star was driven close to the rocky cliffs. Coxswain William Richards took the lifeboat head on into the storm. Witnessed from the shore, and captured on film, the lifeboat was seen to have made several attempts before getting alongside, each time smashed against the side of Union Star, her cables failing to hold them. In mountainous seas Solomon Browne retrieved all but one of the five people whom jumped out from the Union Star's wheelhouse onto the lifeboat, before being force turn away from the ship.
From this time no more was seen of the Solomon Browne, or heard on her radio. Her last message was: "We’ve got four off at the moment". Ten minutes later her lights disappeared, at about the same time as Union Star keeled over.
What happened next is a matter of some conjecture. Probably, due to a sudden lurch in direction of the Union Star as her cable parted, and on a tremendous wave, Solomon Browne was thrown up and over the freighter, crashing against her stern on the downward fall. When she had resurfaced only four of the Lifeboatmen were aboard.
The lifeboat from Sennan Cove tried to search and rescue, but it proved impossible for her to round the corner of Gwennap Head, to the west of the wreck and south of Lands End. Of the 16 lives lost, eight bodies were eventually recovered. No sign of Solomon Brown was ever found. The Union Star parted from its anchor and was lost with all hands.
The search for survivors was extensive, from ashore and from the lifeboats of St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly and The Lizard, and with the helicopters from RNAS Culdrose.
The crew of Solomon Browne were:
Wlliam Trevelyan Richards (Coxswain), James Madron (2nd Coxswain.), Nigel Brockman, John Blewett, Kevin Smith, Barrie Torrie, Charles Greenhaugh and Gary Wallis.
Nigel Brockman's son, Neil, still serves on the Penlee lifeboat. He volunteered for the 1981 'shout' but was sent back by Richards who did not want two members of the same family out in such conditions.
Every December 19 the world famous Christmas illuminations of Mousehole are turned of at 8pm for an hour as an act of remembrance.
See also
External link
Notes on the disaster; photographs of lifeboat crew (http://www.submerged.co.uk/penlee.php)