LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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Tarascon

Salcombe, Devonshire.— The motor trawler Tarascon, of Boulogne, ran on to the rocks in Steeple Cove at about 10 P.M. on the 22nd March, 1938. Her wireless was put out of order when she struck, and she had no rockets. There was a very heavy ground swell, tint the crew of twenty managed to reach the rocks. Later five of them got away in a small boat and made for Sewer Mill Sands, which they reached at 7.30A.M. They gave the alarm and the motor life-boat Alfred and Clara Heath was launched at 7.45 A.M. A fresh N.E.

breeze was then blowing, with a very heavy ground sea, and tremendous seas were breaking on the cliffs. The lifeboat found the Tarascon ashore in a very bad position among the rocks, and the remainder of her crew were huddled at the foot of the cliffs, which at this point are very high and overhanging.

The life-boat anchored and veered in as close as possible. She fired a line and by this means got the breeches-buoy ashore. The Tarascoris men could not be made to understand how to work the buoy, however, and they had to be hauled on a single line through the surf to the life-boat, one at a time. This was safely accomplished, although the life-boat herself struck heavily on a rock. She returned to her station at 9.45 A.M. A letter of thanks wasceceived from the owners.

—Rewards, £7 16s. 6d..