On the morning of the 18th March the local fishing fleet were out fishing, and at about noon the sea began to grow very rapidly and the weather looked very threatening. At a little after one o'clock, as the sea was breaking heavily across the bar, and twelve of the cobles had not returned, the Life-boat was taken down to the entrance to the harbour. By half-past two she had escorted nine of the cobles and a motor fishing-boat into safety, but there were still three cobles to be accounted for.

By this time it was snowing heavily and blowing a whole gale, and the Life-boat remained outside the harbour until 5 P.M. In the meanwhile two more cobles succeeded in getting into safety, but the remaining coble had not returned. Nothing could be seen of her from the land, as it was snowing all the time, and such a sea was never known to have risen in so short a time. As there was no news of the missing coble, the Life-boat returned ashore, and next morning a report was received that parts of the boat had been washed up about six miles to the north. It was hoped that the crew might have been picked up by a passing steamer, but it is feared that the men lost their lives..