An Achill man whose eight minutes of skill, seamanship and cool, clear thinking saved three lives is due to be decorated at a prestigious awards ceremony in London this month. Coxswain Brian Patten will be the first Irish lifeboat crew member in 21 years to receive a silver medal when he attends the event hosted by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on May 18th. Letters of appreciation and medal service badges will also be awarded to his colleagues - mechanic Stephen McNulty, and crew members Thomas Kilbane, John Patrick Johnston, Raymond McKenna, Liam Fallon and Edward Joseph Corrigan.
The awards recognise the crew's courage off Achill, Co Mayo, in the early hours of February 27th, 1999, when the lifeboat, Soldian, was called out to assist the Carrigeen Bay, a 23-metre Donegal fishing vessel. Winds were force nine, west to sou'west, and the fishing vessel was three nautical miles west sou'west of Achill Head when it reported engine failure.
Skipper Neil Boyle of Arranmore, Co Donegal, Nigel Gallagher of Burtonport, Co Donegal, and Michael Gallagher of Killala, Co Mayo, knew that they were drifting towards rocks at Carrickakin - and that the lifeboat would be approaching them in total darkness.
Nothing could be picked up on the radar apart from clutter. They fired a white parachute flare, but it was blown away. They tried to anchor, using a warp from the starboard gallows, but it dragged and the vessel continued to make leeway towards the shore.
Fortunately, communications were established by VHF radio, and during the radio exchange it was confirmed that the Carrigeen Bay had some large tyres on board. According to the clear account of events retold immediately afterwards, Coxswain Patten instructed the skipper to rig the largest of them to a bridle at the stern. With fading power, the Carrigeen Bay reported that it could light only the wheelhouse. After that brief transmission, its radio died.
However, as the lifeboat arrived on the scene at 5.50 a.m., the Air Corps Dauphin, rescue 110, from Finner, Co Donegal, was hovering overhead and was able to illuminate the casualty in very difficult conditions. Deteriorating weather was compounded by the confluence of south-westerly and north-westerly tidal streams from either side of Achill Head. Seas were more than eight metres high, and waves pounded the lifeboat and the fishing vessel relentlessly over the next hour.
At this stage, the Carrigeen Bay was lying beam to wind, trapped by the anchor warp which it was unable to sever without engine power. Coxswain Patten decided that it was too risky to transfer the three fishing crew to the lifeboat, so he attempted a tow. As the lifeboat approached from the north, two of its crew, Mr Johnston and Mr Kilbane, clung to the starboard bow rail and tried to pass a line. They were repeatedly knocked down on deck in heaving seas.
On the second attempt, Mr Fallon passed a line successfully and it was taken over the Carrigeen Bay's shelterdeck and secured to the large tyre. The coxswain manoeuvred the lifeboat gently along the fishing vessel's port side until he was just forward of it. The next challenge was to release the anchor warp. Slowly, Mr Patten supplied sufficient power to snap it. The warp broke, and the lifeboat crew returned to the afterdeck to veer the towline to its full extent. Once again, they were battered by breaking seas.
The lifeboat began towing the vessel seaward at a steady 900 r.p.m. Five minutes later, disaster struck. A large wave knocked the Soldian, hitting the starboard ventilation fan inlet and smashing the starboard after-toe-rail and guardrail stanchions.
Seas poured into the engine room, and the towline severed. Both vessels were now within an estimated three cables of Carrickakin rocks.
In what the RNLI describes as an example of exceptional seamanship, the lifeboat coxswain repeated his earlier manoeuvre to approach the casualty, while Mr Fallon threw a line. Mr Patten held the lifeboat in position for about five minutes while the crew of the Carrigeen Bay battled their way from the whaleback to the stern to take the line. During this time, both vessels were rolling and pitching heavily and still making leeway towards the rocks.
They began to make headway again, and the Air Corps Dauphin returned to base when it was confirmed that the tow was secure.
The pilots and crew had demonstrated considerable expertise in remaining on station for so long. The lifeboat made passage for Clare Island, Co Mayo, some 14 nautical miles to the south-east, at a speed of about five knots. However, at about 8.25 a.m., the towline broke again.
Conditions had improved, and the exhausted crews on both vessels re-established the link without too much effort. Low water was due at 9.28 a.m., so Mr Patten knew that Achill Sound was out. He decided to take the Carrigeen Bay to the eastern side of Clare Island, and shelter there until there was sufficient water.
Both vessels arrived at Clare at about 10 a.m.. While waiting for the tide, the engineer on the fishing vessel was able to repair the engine, using a mobile phone to get technical advice ashore.
Thus, the Carrigeen Bay was able to approach Cloghmore pier under its own steam, escorted by the lifeboat.
The Soldian was refuelled and was ready for launching again at 1.30 p.m. - nine hours after the assembly signal. Eight months later, when Achill was receiving a new Trent class lifeboat, the RNLB Sam and Ada Moody, the RNLI confirmed that the voluntary crew was to be honoured this year. For skipper Neil Boyle and his crew, who also demonstrated considerable bravery, it was a "Pan Pan" emergency alert they will never forget.
