About midnight, on 14th January, signals of distress were ob- served from a vessel apparently ashore on the Gunfleet Sands, and a telephone message was sent to the Gunfleet Light- house, asking for information. Shortly afterwards further signals were seen and the Light-house also fired rockets. The crew of the Life-boat Albert Edward, at Clacton, and of the James Stevens No. 14, at Walton, were promptly summoned and' the Life-boats proceeded to the sands. They found H.M. tug Diligent with a lighter in tow, bound from Har- wich to Sheemess, aground on the S.W.

part of the sand, and the captain gladly availed himself of the services of the Life-boatmen to try and float his vessel.

At low water they ran out the vessel's large bower anchor with a steel hawser attached, and when the tide made, eventually succeeded in getting the vessel clear.

The Life-boats then returned to their stations..