Awards at Herne Bay and The Gugh, Isles of Scilly.

THE Institution has made special awards for two acts of individual gallantry in saving life at sea. one by Mr. Frank Holness, of Herne Bav, the other by Mrs. G. B. Bond, of The Gugh, Isles of Scilly.

About seven on the evening of 12th August, after a calm day at Herne Bay, it began to blow. The wind increased with great rapidity, and in little more than an hour a gale was blowing and a heavy sea running. The motor yacht Merlin, of Littlehampton, was at anchor 200 yards off the beach in an exposed position. There were three people on board—one a girl six years old. They had left it too late to get ashore in their dinghy, and fearing that their moorings would break, they signalled for help at eight-thirty.

Single-handed to the Rescue.

Mr. Frank Holness put out, single- handed, in a 15-foot rowing boat, rowed her safely through the breakers —a task of which only a most experi- enced boatman would be capable— and took the three people off the yacht.

The return journey was very hazardous.

In order to find a sheltered place to beach the boat, Mr. Holness had to row along the shore for about a mile, with an onshore gale blowing, and a stone sea-wall on his lee with groynes run- ning,out from it. In the darkness and heavy seas he had to take the boat right under the pier, among its piles and ironwork. The boat, with four people on board, was fully loaded.

The whole way she was broad'side on to a heavy sea ; and there was no baler on board. Mr. Holness brought her safely through these dangers.

A Second Yacht in Distress.

Shortly after he had landed and changed into dry clothes he heard that another motor yacht, Pathfinder, was being driven ashore at the other end of the beach, and he hurried off by car to join the crew of the Board of Trade rocket life-saving apparatus.

The Pathfinder went ashore on the steep shingle beach and lay there rolling heavily in the breakers. Mr.

Holness succeeded in climbing aboard, in spite of the seas and the rolling of the yacht, and with the help of another member of the life-saving crew who followed him, he lowered over the side a woman and two men who were on board. He was just in time to prevent the woman from jumping into the sea, and almost certainly being crushed under the yacht as she rolled ; and he rescued one of the men who, in attempt- ing to jump, got caught in a rope and was hanging head downwards over the side.

The Institution has awarded Mr.

Holness a framed letter of thanks and £2 for the service to the Merlin (whose owner also gave him a present), and the Board of Trade has awarded him £l for the service to the Pathfinder.

Bathers Carried Away.

On 26th August a man who was bathing between St. Agnes and The Gugh, in the Isles of Scilly, was caught in a very strong current and carried away. A strong breeze was blow ing and the sea was rough. A woman went in to his help and she too was swept out to sea by the current. Unaided, Mrs.

G. B. Bond, though suffering from a weak heart, launched a 10-foot rowing boat and pulled out through the rough sea, against the strong current. When she reached the bathers she found them both exhausted. Although single- handed, she succeeded in dragging them into the boat and rowed them ashore.

Mrs. Bond rescued them at great risk to herself, and in recognition of her gallantry the Institution has awarded her its thanks inscribed on vellum and framed.

Mrs. Bond and her husband rescued a bather in similar circumstances last year, and her father won the silver medal of the Institution twenty-eight years ago, for swimming out to the rescue of the captain of an American schooner, wrecked on the Scillies..