A brave trio who saved the lives of two men during a storm at Crail were publicly honoured at the weekend.
Anstruther Lifeboat crew Barry Gourlay, Euan Hoggan and Rebecca Jewell plucked a father and son from a vessel which had been driven onto rocks by waves reaching 10 feet high.
The dramatic rescue took place in the early hours of August 1 last year in almost complete darkness. The sailors, from Liverpool, had been cast onto the deck of their motorboat, the Princess, and were in danger of being swept into the sea.
However, the three valiant volunteers pulled them to safety just minutes before their boat was washed further onto the shore out of reach.
Inshore lifeboat helmsman Barry, 31, was given the RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry at a ceremony in London in May and crew members Euan, 23, and Rebecca, 31, were later given the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum.
All three were presented again in front of fellow volunteers, family and friends at a ceremony during the Anstruther Harbour Festival on Saturday.
Barry said: “It was good to let our families, the crew and the rest of the town see it was a great honour.”
Recalling the stormy night when they went to the aid of the two men more than a year ago, Barry said: “As soon as we hit the first wave we knew it was going to be a tricky one.
“We couldn’t even see the rocks it was so dark but we could see them hanging onto their boat and flashing their torches.”
The threesome’s intensive training kicked in and they did what was needed to pull the men to safety.
Barry said: “It wasn’t until we were heading back with the all-weather lifeboat with its search lights on that we saw the waves and that was when it sunk in that it had been a close one.
“We could have capsized and if we had gone into the water we could have been injured.”
Proud coxswain Michael Bruce said: “The purpose of the ceremony was to highlight the vital work of our lifeboat volunteers and to show the public that the crews are recognised nationally for outstanding feats of heroism.”