May Day tragedy: 40 years on
19th December 2024
Seven men were lost on 7 May, 1984 when two vessels foundered in heavy seas off Flamborough
By Paul L Arro
Forty years ago on 7 May 1984, a double fishing boat tragedy occurred close inshore under the cliffs of Flamborough, East Yorkshire. Seven people lost their lives that day, in one of the worst fishing boat tragedies in the history of the village.
May Day bank holiday Monday got off to a dull, gloomy start that year. There was a strong northerly onshore wind gusting to force seven at times, with a rough sea and a heavy swell. Typical bank holiday weather, one might say.
The Bridlington-based 36ft coble Carole Sandra left the port early that morning to move crab pots. Her skipper was Peter Brigham and she had three crewmen aboard: Guy Brigham, Robert George Gray and Barrie Shilton. The coble was seen making her way through heavy swell off Flamborough Head, and steaming past North Landing a little later.
The Flamborough memorial to those lost from Carole Sandra (the name of the vessel is spelt wrongly on the plaque) and North Wind III. (Photo: Mark Smales)
A Dutchman on holiday was walking the cliffs between North Landing and the lighthouse and noticed a strong smell of diesel fuel in the area of Breil Newk. Looking over the cliff, he saw the mast of a boat protruding above the waves, but thought it an old wreck. He mentioned what he had seen to the owner of Headlands Café.
The café owner reported it to HM Coastguard at once, and a full-scale search was initiated, co-ordinated by Flamborough Coastguard Vic Crosthwaite. The Flamborough lifeboat, the 37ft Oakley-class The Will and Fanny Kirby, was launched at 12.45pm, and a Wessex rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield was scrambled. Other vessels in the area were also alerted.
Wreckage recovered at the scene by the lifeboat crew suggested the vessel was the Carole Sandra. The search was intensified, with the Bridlington and Filey lifeboats also being launched, and a beach and clifftop search getting underway.
One of the vessels that joined the search was the Bridlington charter boat North Wind III, launched only five months previously. Skipper Palmer Cockerill had his son David with him as crewman and a party of five anglers onboard, all from the Doncaster area: Stephen Burton, David Bunting, Charles Priestley, Alan Sutcliffe and Roger Mokryj. North Wind III had been asked by the Coastguard to investigate a report of an oil slick just east of the North Landing. She was close inshore near Five Arches, head to sea, when she was stuck by a huge wave. This swept right over the vessel, taking with it the five men of the angling party and laying the boat over.
As North Wind III righted herself and her deck cleared of water, Skipper Cockerill manoeuvred his vessel to pick up those swept overboard. Just as one man was being recovered, the vessel was struck by a second colossal wave which completely capsized her, trapping the skipper and his son underneath.
At this point the Wessex helicopter moved in and its winchman, David Allen, descended to take hold of one of the anglers struggling in the turbulent sea – but after an unsuccessful attempt to get him into the aircraft, the grip on the casualty was lost.
The winchman then took hold of another man in the water, and the helicopter pilot manoeuvred in an attempt to land the survivor on the Filey lifeboat. As the lifeboat was being tossed about in the rough conditions, both he and the winchman collided with the engineroom casing and the casualty fell into the sea. Lifeboatman Malcolm Johnson immediately dived into the water and spent 10 minutes supporting the casualty until both were successfully recovered.
The helicopter pilot decided to get his injured winchman to a waiting ambulance, but descended first to pick up one of the other casualties who had been seen to wash onto the rocks. The helicopter then took both men to the North Landing.
The capsized North Wind III was swept onto the scars broadside on. She was rolling with the heavy breaking seas, clattering on the rocks. One figure was seen to scramble from underneath the vessel, then miraculously a second. Palmer and David Cockerill had been trapped in an air pocket in the upturned hull, and when the boat rolled in the swell they took the opportunity to crawl out.
North Wind III washed up on the scars after her capsize.
Flamborough fishermen, Coastguard Vic Crosthwaite and others had by this time gone down the cliffs at Newgum on a rope. Waist-deep in water, and with no concern for their own safety, some waded out to help the two men. A second helicopter winched Palmer and David Cockerill from the shore and landed them on the clifftop to a waiting ambulance.
A memorial service was held in St Oswald’s Church, Flamborough on Sunday, 27 May, 1984 in tribute to the seven men lost in the tragedy, and to give thanks for those involved in the harrowing search. St Oswald’s was packed, and the service was relayed to the many people outside the church.
Coxswain Bob Major of the Flamborough lifeboat paid tribute to everyone involved in the search. He told the hushed congregation: “We did try, but it just seemed it had to be.”
At the inquest later in the year, coroner Trevor Green praised everyone involved in the rescue bid. He singled out helicopter winchman David Allen and four of the men who scaled down the cliffs to help survivors: Vic Crosthwaite, Stephen Emmerson, Joseph Lamb and Michael Potter.
A verdict of death by misadventure was returned on the seven men who lost their lives: Peter Brigham, Guy Brigham, Robert George Gray and Barrie Shilton of the Carole Sandra, and David Bunting, Stephen Burton and Brian Priestley from the angling party on North Wind III.
A memorial stone was erected in Chapel Street, Flamborough by Flamborough Parish Council in time for May Day the following year. It is on the same site as the monument commemorating the six Flamborough fishermen lost off the West Scar in the fishing coble tragedy of 1909.
Flamborough lifeboat crew will lay a wreath at sea on Sunday, 5 May to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy, and a commemorative service will be held in Cameron’s Gardens, Flamborough, adjacent to the memorial stone, at 10am on Tuesday, 7 May. Wreaths will be laid by representatives of Flamborough Parish Council, the Flamborough Fishermen’s Memorial Group and the RNLI.
This story was taken from the May 2024 issue of Fishing News. For more like this, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.50 here.
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