I was also at Port Eynon on that day in 1981. I was 8 years old and on a family holiday in the campsite overlooking the sand dunes and the beach (an annual event). We remembered the Lifeboat rockets going up, which was not an unusual occurrence, and we all rushed up to the fence line overlooking the sand dunes where we could see the commotion going on at the water's edge. The tide at that time was out and so the Prince Ivanhoe was beached a fair way out still in the area of Horton. The Lifeboat had been launched from Horton and there was a Sea King helicopter overhead as well as a huge throng of people at the water's edge. I remember on the day we located a Coastguard Land Rover in the sand dunes and the radio inside was working. We could hear the voices over the airwaves saying that they were trying to locate a missing Land Rover which we all laughed at... we have to assume it was the one we were standing next to! It was morbid fascination I guess but we were all transfixed with the sight of the wreck as it was rare to see such an event at Port Eynon and it took up most of our afternoon and evening. We watched later on as the tide came in and the boat gradually disappeared from sight until only the funnel and the masts were above water. For weeks after there were lifejackets and wooden benches washed up on the beach and we had a boat so sailed around the vessel at low tide. it was very sad. The boat remained like that for one or two years, but then when we went there after, the top part of the boat had disappeared as they had begun salvaging it and I know they had to use explosives to break it up so it could be removed as it was a risk to other boats. The large red buoys, marking the site of the wreck were there for years afterwards. I had no idea Adrian Chiles was there at the time! Small World, eh?
Thanks for posting this. I was 11 years old & on the beach at the time. I’m in the TV footage somewhere. We helped the people off the lifeboats. There’s a life jacket up the attic in my old house in Killay. I remember cans being washed up for days later. Miracle really.
I was also at Port Eynon on that day in 1981. I was 8 years old and on a family holiday in the campsite overlooking the sand dunes and the beach (an annual event).
We remembered the Lifeboat rockets going up, which was not an unusual occurrence, and we all rushed up to the fence line overlooking the sand dunes where we could see the commotion going on at the water's edge.
The tide at that time was out and so the Prince Ivanhoe was beached a fair way out still in the area of Horton. The Lifeboat had been launched from Horton and there was a Sea King helicopter overhead as well as a huge throng of people at the water's edge.
I remember on the day we located a Coastguard Land Rover in the sand dunes and the radio inside was working. We could hear the voices over the airwaves saying that they were trying to locate a missing Land Rover which we all laughed at... we have to assume it was the one we were standing next to!
It was morbid fascination I guess but we were all transfixed with the sight of the wreck as it was rare to see such an event at Port Eynon and it took up most of our afternoon and evening. We watched later on as the tide came in and the boat gradually disappeared from sight until only the funnel and the masts were above water. For weeks after there were lifejackets and wooden benches washed up on the beach and we had a boat so sailed around the vessel at low tide. it was very sad.
The boat remained like that for one or two years, but then when we went there after, the top part of the boat had disappeared as they had begun salvaging it and I know they had to use explosives to break it up so it could be removed as it was a risk to other boats. The large red buoys, marking the site of the wreck were there for years afterwards.
I had no idea Adrian Chiles was there at the time! Small World, eh?
Thanks for posting this. I was 11 years old & on the beach at the time. I’m in the TV footage somewhere. We helped the people off the lifeboats. There’s a life jacket up the attic in my old house in Killay. I remember cans being washed up for days later. Miracle really.
Thanks for sharing your memories.