Portrusb, Co. Antrim.—At 6.47 in the morning of the 26th of February, 1949, the coastguard telephoned that a vessel was in distress on Rathlin Island, and the life-boat T.B.B.H. was launched at 7.5. A fresh west-south-west gale was blowing, with a heavy sea. The life-boat reached the island at 8.40 and found the Fleetwood trawler Pintail ashore on the north side of Bull Point.

She had been lifted over a reef and lay under the face of the cliff with heavy seas breaking over her. She was badly holed. It was impossible for the life- boat to get near her. The coxswain could have fired a line to the wreck arid hauled the men across the rocks to the life-boat, but as he saw that the life-saving rocket apparatus company were already preparing to rescue the men from the shore he waited. When he saw that the whole crew of twelve men had been rescued in this way he took the life-boat to the small pier in Church Bay in order to embark the rescued men and carry them to the mainland. The pier was fully exposed to the wind and sea. It was impossible for the life-boat to come alongside in the ordinary way, so the coxswain anchored. The sea bed was rocky and it was not until the fourth attempt that the anchor would hold. The coxswain then veered the boat down to the pier and the twelve men jumped for her as the opportunity came. The islanders thought it impossible to take them off, but the coxswain succeeded in doing it without even scratching the life- boat's paint. The skipper of the Pin- tail expressed his thanks for the rescue and the hospitality shown him and his crew.—Rewards, £23 9s..