On the night of the 18th January signals of distress were seen in the vicinity of the Shering- ham Shoal, and the Life-boat Louisa Heart-well was launched as soon as her crew could be assembled. A very heavy sea was running, and great difficulty Was experienced in launching through the heavy surf, a very heavy hail squall adding to the men's difficul- ties. Coxswain Blogg proceeded in the direction where the flares were last seen, but failing to find any vessel in trouble, spoke a steamer which was at anchor in the vicinity of the sands.

He then learnt that a small sailing vessel had passed near the steamer, and bad burnt a flare in a south-westerly direction, also that flares had been seen in a south-easterly direction, but that the lights of the latter vessel had dis- appeared at about 2.30 A.M. during a very heavy hail squall. The Life-boat proceeded to search for the vessel, but failing to find her in the darkness, decided to anchor until daylight. At daybreak the Coxswain sighted a small sailing vessel, and at once proceeded i to her. She proved to be the ketch Thomas Stratton, of Maldon, bound from Hull to Grays with a cargo of coal. The master reported that he i had burnt flares for assistance during the night, as he had drifted into two fathoms of water, and had shipped a great deal of water in. the very heavy sea running. In addition, the ketch had sprung a leak. Six of the Life-boatmen were put on board and assisted to man the pumps and set sails, as the crew of four hands were in an exhausted con- dition. When the Coxswain boarded the Thomas Stratton he saw the mast of another vessel on the sands, apparently about one mile distant. A thorough search was made through glasses, but as no sign of life or of a ship's boat could be seen, the Life-boatmen pro- ceeded with their work of saving the ketch. When they had got under way a course was set for Yarmouth, and at about 3 P.M. on the 19th January they eventually succeeded in getting the vessel into Yarmouth Roads. It sub- sequently transpired that the steamer George Boyle was lost on the Shering- ham Shoal during the night with all of her crew, and there is no doubt it was the mast of this vessel which the Cox- swain observed from the deck of the Thomas Stratton.

During the whole of the time the Life-boat was afloat the weather was exceedingly bad, and in one of the squalls the Life-boat's mizen mast was carried away. In reporting the case the Honorary Secretary stated that it was an awful night when the boat was launched. The ground was white with hail, and the cold intense, and he considered that the service was one of the roughest and hardest that had ever been performed by the Cromer Life- boat, and, further, that great credit was due to the Coxswain and crew. In recognition of the excellent services performed on this occasion, the Com- mittee of Management granted each of the crew an additional monetary reward..