LONDON BARGE ADRIFT Southend-on-Sea, Essex.—At 2.45 in the afternoon of the 8th of April, 1947, the motor life-boat Greater London, Civil Service No. 3 put out in a strong west-south-west gale, with a very rough sea, to search for a missing fishing boat, last seen near Shoebury Boom. She found nothing,' and it was learnt later that the fishing boat had got safely back. The life-boat returned to her station at five o'clock. Just before six o'clock, a barge was seen drifting in the fairway, and was a danger to shipping. At six o'clock the life-boat put out again and found the Thetis, of London, loaded with timber, a quarter of a mile east of No. 3 fairway buoy. There was no one on board. Four life-boatmen boarded her, and hove in the barge's anchor.

The life-boat then took her in tow.

By the time she had got the barge clear of the fairway they had drifted to Shoeburyness and there the life- boatmen anchored the barge. At the next tide the life-boat brought the Thetis to Southend, arriving at 2.0 next morning.—Property Salvage Case.

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