Hill under the Hull
24 July 1983
(Silver Medal Rescue)
Arthur Hill was under the hull
With one young girl in the water
He said "Can you put your face in the sea?"
She said "No" - so he taught her
The boat - off Largs - was upside down
The girl was still trapped inside her
He pushed her head down to make her float out
Her life vest trapped and kept her
John Strachan shouted through the hull
"I'm beside you in the water
Push her down again - I'll catch at her legs
And from the boat I'll haul her"
He pushed her down with hand then foot
She vanished from his water
His oxygen gone - his breath had run out
He dived down-up to clear air
The girl and he were hauled aboard
And back to land he brought her
Her life was reward for Arthur's great risk
And all the crew who caught her
Arthur Hill well he might have died
If the boat had sunk in the water
Whilst he and the girl were trapped deep inside
But still he went in and caught her
© 2002 Charlotte Peters Rock
