Soon after dark on the 28th December, signal lights and rockets were seen in the direction of the West Scroby Sands, by the beachmen at Caister, on the Norfolk coast. The same life-boat was at once launched, and, proceeding to the sands, found the brig Bilboa, of Seaham, striking very heavily in a most dangerous way, so that if the wind and weather had continued bad, she must soon have gone to pieces.

The sea was terrible, and the vessel could not be approached very closely. The crew, however, 6 in number, were fortunately saved by means of ropes from the life-boat.

After rescuing the men, and while the boat was on its way to the shore, signals were seen from a vessel on the South Scroby Sands, and the life-boat proceeded in that direction. A Gorleston life-boat, however, was seen approaching the wreck, and the Caister life-boat, therefore, returned to the.