9 April 1988
It was a race against time when the two Whitby lifeboats set out to save two men from the yacht Cymba which was drifting towards the shore in huge waves. Despite the best efforts of the lifeboats, only one of the men survived.
With news of the 6.6m yacht Cymba capsizing, the Whitby crew launched both the D-class inshore lifeboat Gwynaeth and the Waveney class all-weather lifeboat The White Rose of Yorkshire. The crew of the Gwynaeth, led by Helmsman Nick Botham, headed towards the last known position of the yacht, and spotted a man in the breakers. They managed to get him onboard, but sadly he died before reaching the harbour.
Meanwhile, the other man onboard the Cymba was in serious trouble. He was in the water, attached by a lifeline to his drifting yacht. The White Rose of Yorkshire, with Coxswain/Mechanic Pete Thomson in command, followed the yacht inshore. To avoid being carried ashore by the breaking waves, the lifeboat quickly turned so she was facing the sea. From this more stable position, the crew managed to throw a lifeline to the survivor and safely pull him from the water.
For this speedy and dangerous rescue, the RNLI awarded Bronze Medals to both Coxswain Pete Thomson and Helmsman Nick Botham.