Dunbar, Haddingtonshire, and Anstruther,, Fifeshire.—At 7.30 in the evening of the 26th of September, 1948, the Musselburgh police telephoned to the Dunbar life-boat station that a sailing boat with five boys on board had been driven out to sea and had last been seen off Inchkeith. The Dunbar motor life-boat George and Sarah Strachan left her moorings fifteen minutes later.

A south-westerly gale was blowing, with a rough sea. About 8 o'clock the coastguard at Anstruther telephoned a similar message to the Anstruther life- boat station, but owing to the vagueness of the information the motor life-boat Nellie and Charlie was'not launched at once. At midnight a further message was received, and she was launched at 12:25 on the 27th. Meanwhile, the George and Sarah Strachan had made a wide search, but found nothing. She called at Leith for news, but was told that the boat had not been seen and continued the search. It was not until nearly 3 o'clock in the morning that the Nettie and Charlie found the sailing boat about three miles south-east of Methil. She rescued the five boys, gave them food, and with their boat in tow, returned to Anstruther, where she arrived at five o'clock that morning.

The Dunbar life-boat was recalled by wireless and reached her station at 5.45.— Rewards: Dunbar, £18 13s.; Anstruther, £16 6s..