On the 15th of April, at 10 A.M., during a heavy gale at S., the schooner George Brown, of Montrose, bound from Newcastle to that port, was wrecked on the Annat Bank. The No. 1 Life-boat, Mincing Lane, pushed out of the river through a heavy sea as speedily as possible, and got near to the wreck at 10.35. The heaving grapnels from the Life-boat caught the jib-guy at the first attempt, but the guy giving way the boat was forced astern.

On the second attempt she was dashedagainst the jib-boom and broke it, but the mate secured the end of the grapnel and escaped by it to the Life-boat. By the rolling of the vessel, as each sea struck her, the masts and sails repeatedly fell over on the boat, striking her and injuring some of the crew; those on board the wreck were shouted to to escape to the Life-boat at all risks, but, either because they feared or could not, none appeared to make the attempt. A tremendous sea parted the grapnel, and the Life-boat was swept astern, and had to pull across the Annat Bank again and into the river with the one rescued man. Instantly transferring him to the Establishment's small service boat, which was lying, according to orders, inside the bar, the Mincing Lane again faced the sea, and once more secured a grapnel line to the wreck, now on her beam-ends, with her lower masts dipping in the water; and the crew were urged to jump into the water or scramble into the Life-boat as she was sheered alongside, but no such effort appears to have been made, and while the Life-boat still tarried a very heavy sea broke the grapnel rope, swept the Life-boat away, tod rolled the wreck clean over, till she lay bottom up on the shoal. The master only was observed by the Mincing Lane, and he was picked up by it in an exhausted condition. Meanwhile the Roman Governor of Goer Hun Life-boat No. 2 had been launched, and had proceeded down the river, and on observing the catastrophe, she also dashed out to sea, and was rowed three times through the broken water of the shoal, but no vestige of the crew was found.

The master and mate were thus saved, and the crew of 3 men perished.

In the afternoon of the same day, the gale continuing with great violence, the schooner Wave, of Boston, bound from that port to Leith, was seen running for the river, and the No. 1 Life-boat again put to sea and was able, by signalling, to prevent the vessel from continuing on a wrong course in crossing the Annat Bank, and so piloted her safely into the river..