Today we remember those who lost their lives in the Penlee Lifeboat disaster.
On 19th December 1981, the weather conditions were amongst the worst ever seen, with winds at hurricane force 12, gusts of up to 95mph, and waves about 60 feet tall.
The Solomon Browne lifeboat was launched from the Penlee station at 8.12pm to help The Union Star who was in distress with engine failure. After the Solomon Browne made several attempts to get alongside, four people jumped across to it from The Union Star. The lifeboat reported: “We got four … off … male and female. There’s two left on board.”
This was the last heard from either vessel. Ten minutes later, the lifeboat’s lights disappeared. No one from either vessel survived.
Every year on 19 December, the Christmas lights at Mousehole are turned off at 8pm in memory of the 16 people who lost their lives, leaving just the Cross and Angels shining down across the village and out to sea.
