A lifeboat crew has paid tribute to a former member who "died doing a job that he loved".

Today marks the 59th anniversary of former crew member Jimmy Hocking Pentreath, who was swept off the slipway at Penlee Point on December 30, 1961 at the end of a successful rescue.

A spokesperson for Penlee Lifeboat said: "Jimmy, a Mousehole man, aged 78 years, who had a life-long association with the Penlee lifeboat, died doing a job that he loved.

"Jimmy's name is etched into the RNLI memorial at Poole. Gone but never forgotten."

It was at 4.10pm on that day the Solomon Browne lifeboat had launched from Penlee Point in slight sea and light breeze, following a call for a doctor to go to the British Shell tanker Varicella.

A doctor and ambulance crew were taken onboard the lifeboat at Newlyn and reached the tanker at 5.10pm, about six miles south of Penzance.

The sick man, suffering from appendicitis, was also taken aboard the lifeboat, which landed in Newlyn at 6.15pm.

The Solomon Browne lifeboat continued on to her station, arriving back at 6.30pm - but as she was about to be hauled up the keelway of the slip, a heavy sea carried the lifeboat about ten feet, pulling the wire of the winch tether – known as a hawser – along with her.

Jimmy, who was part of the shore-crew, was caught on the legs by the hawser, knocked off the slip into the sea, and was killed instantly.

Another member of the shore-crew, Bob Blewett, aged 70 years, was also swept into the sea. He was brought out unconscious with serious injuries, including a number of broken ribs, but later recovered.