Eastbourne RNLI remembers rescue 20 years on
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Words from Graham Dent
It was a stormy evening, on 20 October 2002, when the yacht ‘Paperchase’ ran aground and was holed in the shallow, rocky waters off Sovereign Harbour. As darkness fell, Eastbourne’s all-weather lifeboat was launched and, with the aid of a searchlight, the crew spotted the yacht, tilting over as it was battered by the wind, rain and waves, with the skipper and his wife clinging desperately to the mast.
The water was too shallow for the lifeboat to pull alongside the vessel so, in the windy conditions, the crew used a rocket to fire a tow-line onto the deck of the stricken yacht.
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Coxswain Mark Sawyer held the lifeboat steady as the ‘Paperchase’ skipper secured the line to the yacht - but a huge wave then tipped the ‘Paperchase’ onto her side, sending the skipper and his wife overboard. The yacht began to sink and the tow-line had to be cut loose. Mark brought the lifeboat as close to the couple as he could, as the crew threw a rope into the water for them.
The lady was hauled up onto the lifeboat, but the skipper lost consciousness and began to slip under the water. Lifeboat mechanic Daniel Guy instinctively climbed over the side of the lifeboat’s rails, balancing on a low, narrow ledge, with one hand clinging to the guard rail as the heavy waves crashed into him. Daniel used his other hand to grab the skipper by the scruff of the neck and hung onto him until the crew were able to haul them both out of the water and onto the deck. With everyone safe, Mark powered the lifeboat back to the harbour at speed.
The crew were acclaimed by the RNLI for their actions. Mark was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for his command of the lifeboat and his outstanding seamanship, and Daniel was awarded the Bronze Medal for his heroic action to save the skipper. The rest of the crew were recognised with medal service badges and certificates.
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