Featured ArticlesA Selection of Articles From the Archive That We Thought Most Newsworthy

Family Rescued By Helicopter - 11th August 1972

11 August 1972 family rescued
 

Rumours, which later turned out to be incorrect, that another yacht was also involved led to Appledore lifeboat searching the Fairway Buoy areas of the Taw and Torridge estuary on Friday after the 22-foot sailing cabin cruiser, Tilikum, was turned head over tail by a stern wave.
The search was abandoned and the lifeboat towed in the capsized cruiser, in which South Molton doctor, Dr R A Nash, his wife and son had been sailing. Damage was restricted to a broken mast and damaged cabin top where the mast had been stripped out.
All three occupants of the cruiser were thrown into the sea but they had life jackets on and were quickly picked up by a rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor which had been alerted by shore watchers. They were taken to the North Devon Infirmary but later allowed home after treatment, mainly for shock.
Two small children who were swept off Westward Ho! slipway and sea wall edge by the force of the waves on Saturday were rescued by 16 year old Penny Curtis of Pathways, Pitt Hill, Appledore.
Penny, one of six members of Westward Ho! Surf Life-saving Club on duty at high tide, first saw a small girl visitor swept off the foot of the slipway. The girl, a non-swimmer, was swept into about 3 foot of water, with a heavy swell running onshore. Penny brought her to safety.
When the tide had begun to recede a small boy, aged about four, was swept off the ledge below the sea wall. Penny brought him ashore. The rescues happended within just over an hour.

Login Form