Southend-on-Sea, Essex.—At half past two in the afternoon of the 1st of August, 1949, an urgent message was received from the Shoeburyness police that a woman in a motor yacht was drifting into the boom. The life-boat Greater London, Civil Service No. 3 was launched at 2.45, without waiting for a full crew, in a strong, squally west- south-west wind, with a very choppy sea. She found the yacht Doric, of London, one and a half miles from Shoe- buryness battering against the boom.

The life-boat anchored, passed a rope aboard, and towed her clear. She then found that besides the woman on board there were two young men bathers who had gone to her help. All had been badly .cut and bruised trying to keep the Doric off the boom. They were taken into the life-boat and given first- aid and food. The life-boat then towed the yacht to Southend, arriving at five o'clock. Rewards, £11..