TODAY (Thursday, December 19) marks the 43th anniversary of the Penlee lifeboat disaster.
The crew of the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne were lost attempting to rescue the crew and passengers onboard a stricken coaster, the Union Star, which was being swept towards the coastline in a storm after the mini-bulk carrier lost power in her engines east of Wolf Rock.
After a helicopter evacuation of Union Star’s crew was deemed impossible, the Penlee Lifeboat Solomon Browne was launched under the command of coxswain Trevelyn Richards.
Despite heavy seas and hurricane force winds gusting at more than 90 knots, four of the eight were rescued by the lifeboat crew. However, disaster struck on the final rescue attempt to get alongside the coaster, after which all radio contact was lost and the lights of the Solomon Browne disappeared.
The RNAS Sea King helicopter and lifeboats from Sennen Cove, The Lizard and St Mary’s were sent to help their colleagues, but their searches were unsuccessful. At daybreak, the Union Star was found capsized on the rocks by Tater Du Lighthouse and wreck debris from the Solomon Browne began to wash ashore.
That fateful day saw the loss of the eight volunteers onboard the Penlee lifeboat, along with the five crew and three passengers of the Union Star.
Lieutenant Commander Russell Smith, the pilot of the Sea King helicopter, recounted: “The greatest act of courage that I have ever seen, and am ever likely to see, was the penultimate courage and dedication shown by the Penlee [crew]. They were truly the bravest eight men I've ever seen, who were also totally dedicated to upholding the highest standards of the RNLI.”
Mousehole’s Christmas lights will be dimmed between 8pm to 9pm tonight in memory of the 16 people who lost their lives that day in 1981.
To read the full story of the Penlee lifeboat disaster, visit: rnli.org/about-us/our-history/timeline/1981-penlee-lifeboat-disaster