Seaham Lifeboat Memorial day 17-11-2022 скачать в хорошем качестве

Seaham Lifeboat Memorial day 17-11-2022

Seaham Lifeboat Memorial day 17-11-2022 Wreaths were laid at the memorial plaque which commemorates the lifeboat disaster of 1962. Below is taken from, and all credit given to: https://lifeboatmagazinearchive.rnli.... At 3.55 on the afternoon of 17th November, 1962, the honorary secretary of the Seaham life-boat station, Captain R. Hudson, was informed by the coast- guard that, according to a report from a local fisherman, a small boat was still out and weather conditions were grow- ing rapidly worse. Captain Hudson immediately gave orders for the assem- bly signal to be made. The maroons were fired at four o'clock, and at 4.10 the Seaham life-boat George Elmy, one of the 35-foot 6-inch Liverpool class, was launched. She had a crew of five aboard. They were: Coxswain John Miller, Second Coxswain Frederick Gippert, Bowman James Farrington, Motor Mechanic Arthur Leonard Brown, and Arthur Brown. When the life-boat left the harbour a north-by-east wind of force 6 was blowing, but this rapidly increased to force 8 and there were gusts of storm force. There was a rough sea, with a con- fused swell, and the weather was over- cast with showers. Visibility was about two to three miles. It was two hours be- fore high water, and the tide was setting south-by-west at about 13 knots. Twelve-foot Waves Outside the harbour the height of the waves was estimated at about 12 feet, and there were some 22 feet of water on the bar—i.e. between the breakwaters of Seaham harbour. The life-boat reached the casualty, which was the fishing vessel Economy, in about ten minutes. The position was off Dawdon Colliery to the south of Seaham. Coxswain Miller had to bring the life- boat alongside three times before the crew of five could be taken off the fishing vessel. At 4.51 the life-boat reported that she had the crew of the Economy on board and that the Economy was drifting two miles east of Easington. Five people were taken off the fishing vessel. They were: Joseph Kennedy, George Firth, Gordon Burrell, Donald Burrell and his son, David Burrell, aged nine. Captain Hudson was standing on the quay near the inner lock gates with a pilot, Captain R. S. Tait, and another witness when the life-boat was first seen about 600 yards south-south-east of a fixed red light on the south breakwater. The life-boat was apparently making good headway on a course about magnetic north when her lights were temporarily obscured by the drum end of the south pier. Captain Tait saw the red port light and the white mast head- light just clear of the end of the south pier. He then saw her green starboard light and her white mast headlight fol- lowed by the red port light and the white mast headlight. From this it was clear that she had taken a turn to port fol- lowed by a quick turn back to starboard. Thirty Feet from Pier Then the life-boat was seen to capsize to port. The time was 5.15 and the life- boat's position about 30 feet off the end of the south pier at the entrance to the harbour. When the life-boat capsized one man, Donald Burrell, managed to hang on to a propeller shaft with one hand and put his other hand through one of the ruffle holes on the keel. The life-boat grounded to the north of the Liddle Stack, and he let go at once and managed to scramble ashore. The five members of the crew and the other four people who had been taken off the fishing vessel all lost their lives. The Sunderland and Hartlepool life- boats were launched at six o'clock and 6.20 respectively to search for survivors from the capsized life-boat, and the crews gave their rewards for these services to the local fund for the depen- dents of the men who lost their lives. #michaelgant #mickgant #silverfox #seaham #GeorgeElmy #lifeboat #disaster #sea #ocean #rough #northsea #codurham #durham