As the lifeboat was launched Jeremiah’s thoughts went back to the summer of 2010 when he had first visited this beautiful seaside resort. Now he was a resident of the resort and a member of the lifeboat crew. The distress call had gone out only a few minutes back, a freighter had radioed that its engine had failed. The storm was increasing in strength and was predicted to reach gale force 12.

As the lifeboat reached the open ocean it started to heave, soon it was pitching and rolling. Now even the experienced mariners had turned pale, for this was a mother of a storm. But their sturdy craft ploughed on, it would take it nearly an hour to reach the freighter. Jeremiah started to smile, if only his wife could see him now. She had often called him weak. “Freighter ahead”. This would sort the men from the boys.