Exmouth, Devon.—At 8.29 in the evening of the 8th of October, 1948, the coastguard reported a message from the Budleigh Salterton police that a yacht was about a hundred yards off Budleigh Salterton beach in a heavy swell, and the motor life-boat Catherine Harriet Eaton was launched at 8.45.

A moderate south-easterly breeze was blowing, with a moderate sea. The life-boat found the auxiliary ketch Cresta, bound for Salcombe, three miles south of Budleigh Salterton.

She was running short of petrol and some of her rigging had parted. Her crew of four, one of whom had crushed his thumb, asked the life-boat to take them in, tow. This was done, and the Cresta was moored in Exmouth Sight.

The life-boat landed the injured man, and arrived back at her station at 12.40 the next morning.—Property Salvage Case..