RAF and Navy Search and Rescue Crews receive Bravery Medals

Flight Lieutenant Lee Turner and Master Aircrewman 'Rich' Taylor from RAF Valley, and Petty Officer Aircrewman Kevin Regan from the Royal Navy's HMS Gannet were honoured by Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace for the parts they played in a dramatic rescue in January 2009 of the crew of the Motor Vessel Riverdance roll-on, roll-off ferry in 60mph winds in the Irish Sea.

RN Lieutenant Commander Martin Lanni also ftrom HMS Gannet meanwhile received a medal at Holyrood Palace in Scotland from the Queen for his part in a nightime rescue on Ben Nevis in May 2007.

RAF Sea King pilot Flt Lt Turner received an Air Force Cross for his 'courage, leadership and outstanding flying skills' and Winchman Paramedic MACR Taylor received the Queen's Gallantry Medal for putting himself in 'grave danger time after time to save others' and Petty Officer Aircrewman Kevin Regan also received the Queen's Gallantry Medal.

On 31 January 2009, the Riverdance ferry was carrying trucks and trailers from Northern Ireland to the port of Heysham in Lancashire, when it was struck by a freak wave, causing the ship's cargo to shift and the vessel to develop a significant list.

First on the scene, ten miles north-west of Blackpool at 2045 hours was 'Rescue 122' RAF Sea King helicopter from 'C' flight 22 Squadron, based at RAF Valley in North Wales.

The conditions were trecherous as the ferry had no power and in the bad weather, the movement of the vessel was completely unpredictable and the crew were struggling to see even with night vision goggles.

Flt Lt Turner had to maintain an accurate hover close to the rolling vessel and his quick reactions prevented disaster when the ship's mast nearly hit the aircraft.

MACR Taylor was winched on and off the hazardous deck of the listing ship despite being battered by huge waves.

He said:

"It took some time to get the first rope down to the boat. Unfortunately, we then lost contact with that rope just through the boat moving away from us in the big swirl, so we had an another bash at it and managed to get another rope down."

Eight passengers and crew were initially winched up two at a time to the Sea King.

The Royal Navy Sea King crew, including PO Regan, then winched a further six people to safety whilst nine remaining crew members stayed on board to try and prevent the ship from sinking.

At 0500 hours the RAF Sea King crew returned to airlift the remaining crew after it was deemed too dangerous for them to remain on board. Those rescued were taken to Blackpool hospital where only two were treated for minor injuries.

PO Kevin Regan was also awarded a second Gallantry Medal for his involvement in an incident which took place in June 2007 which required the rescue of a man in the cold waters of Loch Long in Argyll.

PO Regan was lowered down on a short line from his helicopter and winched the man clear of the water.

Lieutenant Commander Martin Lanni received the Air Force Cross at Holyrood Palace for playing his part in a gruelling six hour rescue which took place under cover of darkness and in the grip of a blizzard, near the notorious Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis in May 2007.

At the controls of a Sea King Mark 5, Lt Cdr Lanni flew from the base at Prestwick into the atrocious conditions, determined that no-one would lose their life on the mountain that night.

The three climbers were stranded on a ledge on a famously hostile area of the mountain, known as Echo Wall, with five members of mountain rescue in attendance.

Helicopter airlift was their only chance of survival and after Martin and his crew's efforts they finally managed to lift the climbers off the mountain, before returning twice more to pick up 12 members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue.

Lt Cdr Lanni said:

"This has been an extremely proud moment for me. I'm just really pleased and still surprised that I have been awarded this honour. Growing up I never expected that I'd end up meeting the Queen.

"Obviously it's nice to be honoured, but both rescues involved a four-man crew so this is for all of us, not just me. At the end of the day we were just doing our job and given the circumstances I'd do exactly the same again."