HEROES OF THE BRINY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 45, 22 February 1929, Page 8

HEROES OF THE BRINY.

BRITISH LIFEBOAT SERVICE'S RECORD. 572 LIVES SAVED IX 1928.

Despite the Rye disaster last Xovcm ber, 1928 was#a year of splendid achieve ment for the lifeboat service.

During the year the Royal National Lifeboat Institution gave rewards for the rescue of ,"»72 lives. Th 1 * is the lareest number re-cued in one vear since 1923. Of these lives. 00 were rescued during ten days in the gales in the middle of Xovember.

In addition to the live* rescued. .">1 vessels and boaus were saved or helped to safetv.

Since the institution was founded 10."» rears ago 01,740 lives have been rescued from shipwreck round our shores, an average of 11 lives saved every week for over a century. Including the 17 men drowned at Rye, 27 lifeboatmen lo«t their lives on service between the yeans 191(5-1928. Outstanding service* of 1928, for which the institution awarded its medals for gallantry, were both rendered to foreign vesels. The first was in February, when one of the two Padstow lifeboats rescued the crew of 18 of the Norwegian steamer Taormina. of Oslo, which lvad gone ashore oil the Doom Bar in a very heavy gale. A Mechanic's Heroism. Coxswain W. J. Baker was awarded the bronze medal and each of the crew the thanks of the institution inscribed in vellum. The second service was Xovember 24, when tiie motor lifeboat at New Brighton, on the* Mersey, rescued the 24 men of the Krencn steamer Kinile Deima-s in a gale, with a very heavy sea running and gusts of wind at nearly 100 miles an hour. Particular gallantry was shown by the motor mechanic, who went out although he was waiting to undergo a serious operation. He was in charge of the engines throughout the rescue, which lasted six hours, and when he landed was taken straight to hospital. Coxswain George Robinson was awarded the silver medal, and each member of the crew the bronze medal.