FAMILY OF RESCUERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20127, 21 April 1928, Page 14 (Supplement)

FAMILY OF RESCUERS

LIFEBOATMEN FOR GENERATIONS Among the lifeboat families of England (says the London Daily Chronicle), the Cables, of Aldeburgh, in theh county of Suffolk, are outstanding. For over a hundred years five generations have given practically unbroken service and have helped to save 413 lives. There was a Cable in the very first crew of the Aldeburgh lifeboat in 1824, and there are four to-day, with others on the wailing list. The story of this remarkable family record is told in theh “Lifeboat.” The two first Cables, father and son, were drowned on service, one of them while swimming through rough seas with a line to a grounded ship. Although he lost his life he was able to get the line on board and by moans of it seven men were saved. Perhaps the most famous of the family was James Cable, coxswain from 1888 to 1917, and still alive despite his many thrilling adventures in stormy seas' Three times he was awarded the silver medal of the Lifeboat Institution for his gallant services and in addition received awards from the exKaiser and the Norwegian and Finnish Governments. Apart from his lifeboat rescues he has been instrumental single-handed in saving eleven people from drowning and holds the Royal Humane Society’s medal and certificates for these services. One of his greatest feats—it lid not result in his saving any lives—was on January 5, 1881, when he took his boat through ninety miles of a raging winter storm in search of two wrecked ships. In each case lifeboats from stations nearer at hand succeeded in rescuing the crews before he arrived. Another Cable, Robert, retired last year after 45A- years’ service during which he had a share in the saving of 170 lives. Three members of the fourth generation are in the crew to-day. Already one of the fifth generation (one of James Cable’s three grandsons) is serving, and another, twelve veais of age, is only waiting till he is old enough.