© East Durham Heritage Group 2010 Seaham Lifeboat Disaster The Alarm At 4:10 p.m. on Saturday the17th of November 1962,the Seaham lifeboat,George Elmy, was activated to search for the missing fishing coble, ( Economy ). Within minutes of receiving the alert, George Elmy and her crew of five, disappeared down the slipway into the darkness, never to return. The Disaster The lifeboat had put to sea in appalling weather conditions but at about 4:30 p.m. they pulled alongside the coble and miraculously rescued four men and a nine year old boy. The lifeboat and it's courageous crew battled against mountainous seas in an attempt to get back to the safety of the port, but at 5:20 p.m., just yards from the harbour entrance, she was struck by a gigantic wave and capsized, with the loss of her entire crew and all but one of the people they had rescued from the coble. After the capsize, the lifeboat was washed up on the Chemical beach with one survivor who had been clinging to the upturned boat but there was no other signs of life. The Search Lifeboats from Sunderland and Hartlepool were called out to search the stormy seas for any more survivors. An Avro Shackleton search plane was scrambled from R.A.F. Coastal Command at Kinloss to widen the search area but their efforts were in vain. The deafening roar of it’s engines could be heard as it circuled the area over and over again dropping flares that briefly turned the night sky into day. Throughout the night, emergency services and local people worked side by side in the hope of finding more survivors, sadly, their search was in vain. The next morning in the cold light of day, the true horror of what had taken place was there for all to see. Washed up on the shore, just a few hundred yards south of the harbour, lay the bruised and battered wreck of the vanquished George Elmy. The Aftermath Following the events of the previous day, efforts were made to right the lifeboat and the full extent of the damage began to emerge. She had been savaged by the relentless storm and had suffered extensive damage. She was a pitiful sight to behold. To view damage place cursor over images As efforts to find survivors continued, work was underway to remove the boat from the scene of the tragedy. She was salvaged and taken to the R.N.L.I. depot at Boreham Wood, Herts., for examination by accident investigators. Most of the people of Seaham thought that was the end of the boat and she slipped into quiet obscurity. Later History Little was known about the George Elmy after that fateful day and the people of Seaham were unaware that she underwent extensive repairs and returned to service with the R.N.L.I., first as a reserve lifeboat before moving on to Poole in Dorset where she served untill her retirement from the fleet. George Elmy:- Re-discovered She re-emerged in April 2009, when she was spotted for sale on an internet auction site by a local Seaham man. She had been converted into a fishing vessel and was laid up in Hollyhead. The East Durham Heritage Group were told about the discovery and once her identity was properly established approached the winner of the auction and successfully negotiated the purchase of the boat. Their aim, to restore the once proud George Elmy, to her former glory. The Home Coming When the George Elmy first came up for sale in April 2009, the East Durham Heritage Group thought it was a terrific opportunity to retrieve a huge slice of History of Seaham and preserve it for future generations. An initial from fisherman, Mr. T.W. Smith, financed the purchase and transportation costs to bring her home to Seaham. With the help of local people, businesses and fund raising efforts, the loan was repaid and cleaning and preparation work for the rebuilding has begun, including removal of the aft cabin which was added when she was converted into a fishing vessel, anything else that was not part of the original design speciification has also been removed. The Future Seaham as a town and the sea front and harbour area in particular, has seen vast changes in recent years. Huge investment has been made transforming the sea front and work is already underway to turn the north dock into a marina, with shops cafe's and a heritage centre. The George Elmy will be central to this development in the soon to be refurbished, original lifeboat station and it is hoped that she will become a major attraction for local people, tourists, education groups and other interested organisations. The aim of the East Durham Heritage Group, is that the restoration and re housing of the boat can be completed before the 17th. November 2012 which will be the 50th. anniversary of the Seaham Lifeboat Disaster. If you feel you are able to lend your support to these efforts, please contact geordie146@sky.com , your contribution in either practical or financial terms, would be gratefully received.