Wreaths have been laid off the Cornish coast to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the loss of the Penlee lifeboat
All eight crew of the lifeboat Solomon Browne were lost when it capsized in stormy seas with winds gusting to 90 knots while attempting to rescue the crew of the disabled cargo ship Union Star.
Despite the horrendous conditions Coxswain Trevelyan Richards managed to bring the lifeboat alongside Union Star and rescue four of its eight-man crew. Nothing further was heard from either vessel, however, and the worst fears were confirmed next morning when Union Star was found upside down on the rocks west of Tater Du Lighthouse while wreckage from the Solomon Browne was found along the shore.
Trevelyan Richards was posthumously awarded the RNLI gold medal while the other lifeboat crew members received posthumous bronze medals. Relatives of those lost were taken aboard the present Penlee lifeboat to lay wreaths at the spot where its predecessor met its end, while prayers will be said in Truro Cathedral and the names of those who lost their lives will be read out and remembered.
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