Bravery awards for rescue heroes

Mr Farline and his crew saved the life of a teenage girl

The skipper of a lifeboat which was nearly swamped by dangerous seas during the rescue of a teenage girl has been given a bravery award.

Michael Farline, 41, picked up the honour at a ceremony hosted by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society.

He led the rescue of the girl and a second woman in trouble at Reighton Sands, North Yorkshire, in August 2003.

Awards also went to the coxswain of RNLI St Mary's, from the Isles of Scilly and a Northumberland RAF crew.

Life saved

Mr Farline, from Filey, described the award as a "privilege" and said it showed the good work of everyone in the RNLI.

It took two efforts to get the girl into the boat, with the entire crew needed after she became caught in an undertow.

The rescue team were then able to pick up the other woman.

During the incident, the boat was spun, grounded on a sandbank and almost swamped by dangerous seas.

Mr Farline's actions saved the girl's life and probably that of the other woman, said Admiral Sir Peter Abbott, vice-president of the society.

RAF crew

Also honoured was Andy Howells, 42, of RNLI St Mary's, led the rescue of an injured sailor in 10m (32ft) seas.

"I feel honoured," he said, "It's nice to be recognised."

The four-man crew of Rescue 131 from RAF Boulmer were also honoured for saving a seriously ill man on board an oil rig support vessel 150 miles off north-east England in December 2003.

Those involved in the rescue were Flt Lt Andrew Shenton, 33, Flt Lt Andy Doyle, 32, and Ft Sgt Paul Mills, 39, all from Alnwick, and Flt Lt Dieter Booth, 35, from Swarland, Northumberland.