30 years ago, the volunteer crew of Portrush Lifeboat launched in dreadful conditions to reports of two Spanish trawlers in difficulty - This was when the famous Portrush picture was taken by photographer Ian Watson- Crew member Mark Mitchell tells the story:
On a February afternoon in 1989, when I was 21, we were asked to go to the aid of two Spanish trawlers floundering off Donegal. Nothing unusual - except for the weather. The wind speed indicator at the top of the mast was screaming at 113.5mph. I had done several call-outs but this was the most dangerous to date.
We sat at the harbour entrance for what seemed like a lifetime as we strapped in and prepared. We were all well-experienced seafarers, but we knew this one was going to be bad.
As one mountainous wave after another surged past the harbour mouth, the Coxswain saw his chance - he was looking for a trough we could get ourselves into - and slammed the throttles forward. Almost a thousand horsepower launched us into the maelstrom. I was terrified. But we weren't allowed to say so because we were men in a man's world. In those days we couldn't show our fear.
Seconds later, the *seventh wave caught us and we were now suddenly on our side, surfing down a wall of white water towards the trough.
In a lesser boat we would have been dead, but the legendary stability of the **Richard Evans Arun Class Lifeboat pulled us back to something resembling an even keel and we turned to face the next one.
