ON the morning of 26th September last a three-masted Danish auxiliary schooner, the-Doris, of Thuro, attempted to enter the harbour at Hartlepool. A strong N.N.E. gale was blowing, with a very heavy sea and rain, and Hartlepool Bay was all broken water. The schooner was in ballast and her engine was of small power. She failed to make the entrance, and was driven to leeward across the bay.

She narrowly missed the Longscar Rocks and anchored near them in heavy breaking seas, which caused her to labour heavily, with violent pitching and rolling.

Then her anchors began to drag.

The Motor Life-boat was launched at 12.35 P.M. and made her way to the schooner, shipping heavy seas. Several times the after shelter was full almost to the top. With great difficulty the Life-boat got alongside, and the Coxswain hailed the schooner by megaphone, but the Master was unwilling to leave his vessel. The Life-boat was driven away southward by the heavy seas, but again approached the schooner.

The Coxswain then told her Master that he was in a very dangerous position, and that if he went on the rocks close by the Life-boat would be unable to get near him. The Life-boat was again driven away, and on approaching for the third time saw that the crew were ready with lines to throw, but once more she was driven awav by the seas.

At fhe fourth attempt one of the Life-boatmen was able to throw a small line to the schooner. The men on board made a rope fast to it. This was hauled to the Life-boat, and by this means she was brought close alongside the schooner. Eight of the nine men on board her jumped into tfye Lifeboat, but the last man was washed back by a sea. The Life-boat was still fast to the schooner ; she hauled still closer alongside ; and the last man jumped down into the arms of the Second Coxswain. The rope was then chopped away, and the Life-boat got clear, returning ashore through very heavy seas. A great crowd had gathered along the town wall and loudly cheeredthe Life-boat as she arrived with the nine rescued men. The abandoned schooner continued to drag until she grounded and became a total wreck.

It was a rescue very skilfully and smartly carried out in the face of great odds. The schooner, being in ballast and riding to her anchors in heavy breaking seas, afforded no lee for the Life-boat.

She was jumping and slewing violently, and the skill with which the Life-boat was handled can be judged from the fact that not only was ths whole crew of the schooner rescued but that in the four attempts to get alongside the Life-boat was not damaged.

The Institution has marked its appreciation of the skill and courage shown by awarding to Coxswain Robert Hood the Bronze Medal and by making additional monetary awards to him and each member of the Crew. The Medal was presented by the Marchioness of Londonderry, D.B.E., a Vice-President of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild..