‘I prepared to let go and let the waves take me’ - Portrush RNLI hero recalls incredible sea rescue in new book

A new book providing a collection of first-hand accounts of some of the most dramatic rescues carried out by RNLI lifesavers around the UK and Ireland over the past 20 years features the story of former RNLI station mechanic, Anthony Chambers.

The recently retired lifeboat mechanic saved the lives of two teenage boys who became trapped in a cave with a fast-rising tide in 2009, receiving the RNLI’s medal for gallantry for the callout.

The book Surviving the Storms went on sale recently with royalties from all sales supporting the lifesaving charity.

Surviving the Storms features 11 stories of extraordinary courage and compassion at sea.

Being involved with lifeboats for Anthony Chambers came from his family.

It started with his grandfather, Karl, who had been the mechanic for the first motorboat in Portrush in 1924. Then his father Gilbert, took over from him in 1947.

Anthony’s story concerns the rescue of two 14-year-old boys trapped by the fast rising tide in a cliff cave near Castlerock Strand on 5 August 2009.

To rescue the boys Anthony had to swim from the all-weather lifeboat into the cave carrying lifejackets to bring both boys to safety in terrible conditions.

He did this twice to bring both boys to safety.

In an extract from the book Anthony describes the moment he brought the second boy to safety, utterly exhausted after the rescue, to be met by another lifeboat crewmember Gerard Bradley who was onboard the waiting inshore lifeboat outside the cave.

“As we kicked our way towards the boat I felt the strength draining out of me, like sand out of an egg timer, it slipped away. I’m going to have to let him go.

“The lifeboat was just ahead of us and Reece was secured in his lifejacket. I knew Gerard would get him within moments. The boy would be safe. But I can’t keep on.

“Despite the ordeal almost being at an end. The exhaustion was too much. I prepared to let go and let the waves take me.

“I knew that as soon as I did, I’d be swallowed up and drown. I just didn’t have it in me to fight the waves anymore. But just as I went to release my grip and surrendered myself to the sea, Gerard came up alongside us. They’d got to us, I thought.”

As well as being available online, the book is also due to be stocked at supermarkets and bookshops. It is also available to order on Kindle, Apple Books and as an audio book.

To order a copy of Surviving the Storms visit https://books.harpercollins.co.uk/surviving-the-storms/.