02/10/2026
As it’s our 70th anniversary, we continue to dig into the club’s history with the help of Phil Thurtle, our club historian who has sent us this story that if we didn’t now know to be true, would be hard to believe. This story was told and circulated among the club for years but was always surrounded with myth and legend. Phil left this story out of the first edition of his book as he didn’t have the true facts at the time. However, upon finding some evidence which took him on a quest visiting libraries along the Yorkshire coast to read up on old historical local newspapers, the myths and legends could finally be put to bed……. Over to Phil.
THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE THAT NEARLY ENDED IN DISASTER
Newspaper headlines in August 1963 included such world-shattering news like The Great Train Robbery and The Profumo Affair but Ian Hill and Walt Beel replaced them in The Scarborough Evening News with “Helicopter in Filey Bay Rescue”.
Founding member Walt Beel and Ian Hill planned a trip from Humberston up the Yorkshire coast in Walt’s new inflatable boat. Walt had bought a small Avon Redcrest inflatable and it was powered by a 64cc Seagull outboard engine – Walt was particularly proud of the fact the boat was extremely portable and would fit into a small kit bag. The Redcrest was a total length of 9 feet with a beam of 4 foot 10 inches; internally it measured 6 foot 7 inches long by 2 foot 4 inches wide. Ian said Walt had bought the dingy saying it was with a spirit of adventure and planned a trip along the Yorkshire coast from Humberston over several days to meet up with a club diving trip that was planned by coach the following weekend at Whitby - Ian and Walt planned to come home with the rest of the club on the coach. Before each leg of the boat trip, Walt phoned the coastguard for a weather and sea state update to make sure things were good for the day.
Initially, all went well leaving Humberston, using the outgoing tide down the Humber, North past Spurn and making land at Hornsea. Close to the beach, they jumped out of the boat within metres of the shore, not realising just how deep the water would be there and found themselves out of their depth – first lesson learnt. It was a struggle, but they got ashore with the boat off a caravan site. After packing away the boat they walked into the camp shop and made their presence known. They were asked by the camp owner how they had got there, Walt proudly showed him the small kit bag containing the Redcrest inflatable and engine, they were allowed to stay in the owner’s spare caravan for the night for free.
Next day, they set out for Bridlington, again using the tide to assist the small boat engine going North. Initially, they had attempted to enter Bridlington harbour, but the sea was too rough, so they headed for what is called North Sands. When they managed to get ashore, they were greeted by the local beach inspector, a real jobs worth who promptly told them, “You can’t land here”. The sea state was quite rough at the time and Ian said, while writing this, there was no way they were going out to sea again. After some “discussion” with the beach inspector he said he would go and bring his supervisor, by the time they both returned, Walt had packed the boat and engine into the kit bag making it more difficult to put to sea again without some trouble. The supervisor seemed more understanding and took great interest in what they were doing, it turned out he ran a local guest house, and he invited Walt and Ian to stay at a discounted price. Word got around and the local press interviewed Walt and Ian, the story of what they were doing appeared in the weekly newspaper called the Bridlington Free Press, Ian thinks the beach inspector’s supervisor had spread the word.
Next morning, they set out from Bridlington, rounded Flamborough Head and made shore at Butlins holiday camp, south of Filey. They camped overnight on the beach in front of Butlins, meeting one of Walt’s friends who worked at the camp.
Once again next day, they left and headed North, the idea to spend the next night at Scarborough. They had to go well out to sea to get around Filey Brigg, unfortunately the sea was very rough around the tip of the point tipping the boat over throwing Walt and Ian into the sea along with all their possessions, luckily both were wearing life jackets. The wind took the inflatable in one direction while the tide was going in a different direction and took them both away from the boat. Ian managed to get back to the inflatable and turn it upright, but Walt was being swept away in an opposite direction hanging onto the boats two oars for additional buoyancy – the boat engine was by now swamped, wet and un-useable. Ian says he tied himself to the inflatable and tried swimming after Walt, but it was impossible and he made no headway. After some time alone with the boat, Ian was spotted by a fishing coble which came over and picked him up along with the inflatable. The fishing coble was called The Margaret and James, skippered by Filey fisherman Jim Wyvil, he asked Ian what he was doing out at sea so far out in a small boat like that (I doubt the fishermen put it quite so politely). Ian explained that Walt was missing; he had been swept away by the tide, immediately the mood changed and the fisherman launched a distress flare to notify the lifeboat and other emergency services. Ian explained at that point he was only wearing swimming trunks and was burnt by the sparks from the rocket flare as it took off. The Filey lifeboat arrived and picked up Ian, taking him back to Filey along with the inflatable and some of their possessions. Newspaper reports say that the Flamborough lifeboat was also launched to look for Walt being swept away by the current. A rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield was also scrambled to join in the search. It was the helicopter that finally spotted Walt, he had been in the water for three hours; Walt was still clinging tightly onto the two oars, and he waved them to draw attention to himself from the helicopter. When the helicopter winchman was lowered down, Walt tried to get himself and the oars lifted into the helicopter, he had to leave them before he was lifted, there was no way they were going up to the helicopter. Walt was suffering with shock after his lengthy spell in the water, apparently so was Ian who was at that point in a small hospital in Filey under observation. Walt was taken by helicopter to Filey and newspaper reports say Walt shouted “Thank God” as he left the helicopter on a stretcher. He was re-united with Ian, but Walt was deemed to be so deep in shock and was taken onto Scarborough hospital overnight for observation. Ian was discharged and put up in a local guest house for the night, he had only managed to salvage one of their personal bags that had accompanied them on their trip, luckily, it was the one containing all their cash. Fellow Grimsby BSAC member Flight Lt Mike Rankin got to hear about the rescue and organised getting the pair home, Rankin had previously been based at RAF Leconfield. When Mike arrived, Ian had bank notes laid flat around his hotel room drying out after their dunking in the North Sea. Ian said before leaving, he went to Filey lifeboat station to retrieve what was left of the boat. He said it was outside the station with a sign on it warning people never to go out to sea in a small boat like that. Walt also made a visit to the lifeboat station to thank the crew and made a donation, Ian says Walt left every penny he had in his pocket, Ian seems to remember it was around £40 – a small fortune in 1963. A short report appeared in the late news of the Grimsby Telegraph on Friday 30th August 1963; a full report appeared the following evening.
Acknowledgements:
The late Ian Hill for his personal recollections
Grimsby Evening Telegraph
Bridlington Free Press
Scarborough Evening News
