At 11 A.M. on the 12th April the Coastguard reported that a schooner in the Margate Roads was flying distress signals. The crew of the No. 1 Life-boat Eliza Harriet was at once summoned and the boat launched.

When she was about half-way on her journey a small steamer was seen to go alongside, and the schooner hauled down her signals. At the time this occurred the Life-boat was passing a small Dutch ketch, and the captain hailed the boat to go to his assist- ance. The captain gave the Life-boat- men to understand that he required help to get his anchors, and that he wished to be taken into harbour as his vessel was close to a lee shore, and had been dragging her anchors. Seven Life- boatmen were put on board and, having hove up one of the anchors, they slipped the other ; they then sailed the vessel into Margate Harbour. It had been blowing a very heavy gale through- out the previous night, and at the time of the service a strong N.E. gale pre- vailed, with a very heavy sea. The vessel was the ketch Vier Gebroeders, of Harburg, bound to Sandwich with a cargo of oil-cake..