Originally Posted by
delta96
I took this pic. on the promenade at Lyme Regis C.1972, when I was a sprog ATCO at Portland. The SAR Wessex was giving a winching demo with the local lifeboat when something went tech and it ended up 'feet wet'. The lifeboat had to tow it ashore where Trumpton can be seen hosing out the salt water. The pilot (a large bearded fellow) insisted that he had made a 'Mayday' call, although none of us in the radar room at portland had heard it. A protracted search of the tapes revealed a very feint maydaymaydaymayday in amongst the background noise.
I was on the beach that day watching the demo.... Only 4 yrs old though.
Father was an RAF man and trained on helicopters.