Shortly after midnight on the 10th - llth January, information was received by telephone that two men were adriffc in a boat. As a moderate easterly gale was blowing, with a rough sea, the crew of the Life-boat James Stevens No. 9 were immediately summoned, and the boat proceeded to search for the missing men. The Life-boat searched for them until 4.30 A.M., but having failed to find any trace of the boat they were returning to the pier for further instructions, when the boat, half-filled with water, was driven back near the pier. As the two men were in a very exhausted condition, the Honorary Secretary, who had been on duty all the time the Life-boat was at sea, instructed the Coxswain of the Life- boat to take the men back to their ship, which was lying at anchor in the vicinity of the pier. This was accordingly done, and the captain and the crew of the ship expressed their gratitude for the restoration of their comrades, for whom they had been watching all night.

The Life-boat then returned to her station, arriving at 5.30 A.M. The vessel to which the boat belonged was the steamer Jeanie Hope, one of the General Steam Navigation Company's vessels..