TSW report on the Penlee Lifeboat disaster, Dec 1991 ©SWFTA (CID: 44749)

Filmed in December in 1991, this moving TSW documentary (SWFTA CID: 44749) follows the community of Mousehole in Cornwall as they commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Penlee Lifeboat disaster which occurred on the 19th December 1991. The footage includes extracts from a 1976 Walking Westward documentary (SWFTA CID: 33276) in which Clive Gunnell follows a launch of the Penlee Lifeboat and interviews crewmembers including Trevelyan Richards and Kevin Smith, who both lost their lives in the disaster. The film also includes an interview with Kevin’s mother, Pat Smith.
The Penlee lifeboat disaster occurred on 19 December 1981 off the coast of Cornwall when the crew of the RNLB Solomon Browne went to the aid of the stricken coaster Union Star in perilous seas facing 100 mile an hour winds and 60 ft waves. After a courageous initial attempt by Navy helicopters to reach the vessel, the RNLB Solomon Browne somehow managed to get most of the crew onboard before losing radio contact in the storm. Unfortunately, both crews were lost. The anniversary of the disaster is marked every year by the community of Mousehole and the lives and courage of those lost to the storm is remembered.
RNLB SOLOMON BROWNE
Trevelyan Richards
Stephen Madron
Nigel Brockman
John Blewett
Charlie Greenhaugh
Kevin Smith
Barrie Torrie
Gary Wallis
MV UNION STAR
Henry Moreton
Dawn Moreton
Sharon Brown
Deanne Brown
James Whittaker
George Sedgwick
Anghostino Verressimo
Manuel Lopes
Copyright: South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA)
T: 01752 202650
E: [e-mail]
W: www.swfta.co.uk

[@LadyOaksNZ]

Huge RESPECT ❤💯❤

[@guitarlover302]

Penlee life boat crew best of the best ! RIP❤️ always visit to pay respects when we come to Cornwall Some low life stole Coxswains gold medal - hope it was recovered 🙏

[@hyzwhiteford1838]

Bravest of the brave x

[@rogerprice7704]

God bless all our volunteers in the RNLI who every day 24hrs are ready and willing to put to sea in all conditions for whoever is in desperate need

[@nitramretep]

Very sad when those saving others perish.

[@mikeford-branch7859]

Guess this reinforces the act of Govt agencies in such an impending sittuation ; I believe that the CG etc should report any vessel considered to be getting into serious difficulties in our Shores and Off our coastline and the vessels involved be taken in tow or persons taken off etc ASAP whilst the conditions make a rescue possible ; Dithering and uncertainty in these sittuations leads to poss deaths

[@rogerprice7704]

@@mikeford-branch7859 lifeboat and their crew are always on alert for any situation but yes sometimes it can be that people in dangerous circumstances don’t realize how critical it can become in minutes. I personally think that a lifeboat would rather launch early to assess instead of a full blown emergency . Boat taking on water unable to bail out at what point would you consider contacting the coastguard ?

[@mikecrees159]

I think it was the owners of the coaster who would not call on a tug for rescue thay are to blame....RIP the crew of the lifeboat...it was left far too late,the lifeboat crew was their only chance

[@CelticSaint]

Sad affair.

[@edmann2433]

1981

[@sixsixteensevens297]

Why did the helicopter leave the scen while the Lifeboat was rescuing people?

[@JimWalsh-rl5dj]

Because in 60 to 100 knots, the winch man would also have been in extreme danger on a line, controlling a helicopter in those conditons takes extreme skill. If the Cpt ofthe Unuon Star has made the call a lot earlier, the helicopter may have had a chance but he did not. All ship captains when their vessel is in trouble, when offered help have to go to Lloyds open form which means the rescue tug take ownership of the vessel and its cargo. Fortunately after this, the Britsih Coastguard can now issue open form regardless of the vessel captain.

[@sixsixteensevens297]

@@JimWalsh-rl5dj I do not see the copter pilot saying he aran out of time or fuel. Even a light on what was happening would have been assistance, but to leave another rescue craft in extrem danger seems extremly questionable.

[@JimWalsh-rl5dj]

@@sixsixteensevens297 There is a length of wire that you can deploy, in a still wind it can be quite long, in these conditions it has to be quite short. The Helicopter has to be nose into wind hovering. Given the wire that they could use and the fact that the tail rotor would have been very close to the cliff, the pilot could not do anything. Please remember, flying a helicopter in these conditions is extremely dangerous and the aircraft commander Russ Smith did the right thing. I have over 1000 hours flying a helicopter but I must take my hat off to the RN crew that night, I would not even have started the engines. The RNLI crewwere so brave but so were the RN Sea King crew.

[@sixsixteensevens297]

@@JimWalsh-rl5dj Winch or bad weather, the pilot had fuel and left the scen while a rescue was being attempted.

[@JimWalsh-rl5dj]

@@sixsixteensevens297 Do you know anything about flying helicopters laddie? If not, keep the fuck out of it!