The weather was so bad on the night of the 6th March that a watch was kept all night and at about 6.30 next morning it was reported that a schooner off the Bull Lighthouse was steering very badly.

She was watched for some time until it could be seen that a distress signal was in the rigging. The crew of the Life- boat Co-operator No. 2 were assembled, but just before she took the water a tug went off. When the Life-boat was about six miles from land a large steamer was seen coming up channel with signals flying. The Life-boat therefore proceeded to her and found the schooner's crew, five in number, were on board, but unfortunately one poor fellow had died from exposure in the boat which conveyed them from the schooner to the steamer. The Cox- swain took the four men together with the body into the Life-boat, proceeding at once for Ilfracombe where fchey were landed. The rescued men on landing could hardly stand owing to exposure; for two days they had had neither food, drink, nor sleep, their vessel, the Gracieuse, of Granville, having been in trouble during the prevailing gales..