Saturday, November 01, 2025
Remembering a disaster
The entire crew of The Mumbles Lifeboat, Edward, Prince of Wales, lost their lives in attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Samptampa which came to grief on rocks close to Sker Point, Porthcawl. There is also a memorial in Rest Bay, Porthcawl, pictured below, which was unveiled almost exactly a year ago.
In hurricane-force winds, in a powerful tidal surge, just 30 miles from its destination, the vessel broke apart on Sker Point. All 39 crew members were stranded, with no hope of rescue from land due to the ferocious conditions.
The Mumbles Lifeboat Edward Prince of Wales launched, battling extreme winds, tidal spray, and oil slicks. Despite their efforts, all eight volunteer lifeboat crew and the crew of the Samtampa were lost.
The Samtampa was a 'Liberty ship' built in America in 1943 and was on her way to Newport from Middlesborough when she ran aground on the rocky ledges of the Sker Point near Porthcawl. The total death toll for the disaster was 47.
