Cloughey, and Donaghadee, Co. Down.— At three o'clock in the morning of the 31st of January, 1950, the Tara coast- guard telephoned the Cloughey life- boat authorities that the South Rock lightvessel had fired a white rocket. At 3.15 he stated that she appeared to be drifting, and at 3.57 reported that she had made a red flare. At 4.45, there- fore, the life-boat Herbert John was launched. The sea was moderate and a gale was blowing from the south-east.

She found that the lightvessel had broken from her moorings and had temporarily anchored one and a half miles north of her station, two miles from South Rock. At the master's request the life-boat stood by him in case the weather worsened. About six o'clock the Tara coastguard re- ported seeing two more red flares. It looked as though the Cloughey life-boat needed help, and so at 6.15 the Dona- ghadee life-boat Civil Service No. 5 was launched. But about 6.30 the Herbert John arrived back at her station to report to the Irish Lights Commis- sioners, and said she had made no flares. The Civil Service No. 5 was then recalled by wireless to her station, which she reached at 7.30. At 6.40 the Herbert John put out again, and stood by the lightvessel all night in case she dragged further. In the morning two Irish Lights Commis- sioners' vessels arrived and the Cloughey life-boat was able to leave for Porta- vogie for fuel and food, and a change of clothes for her crew. She reached harbour at 8.30 in the morning of the1st of February. However, as the Commissioners' vessels asked her to return to the lightvessel as soon as possible, she left Portavogie at eleven o'clock and again stood by the light- vessel; although heavy seas prevented her closing. The Commissioners' vessels had by now left for Belfast Lough; the life-boat therefore stayed with the lightvessel all day, reaching her station only at 7.15 that night.

At 1.5 on the morning of the 3rd, the Bangor coastguard telephoned the Cloughey life-boat authorities that the lightvessel was reported to be making red flares. At 1.40, the Herbert John was launched again in a rough sea with a strong southerly gale blowing. The lightvessel was dragging again. Her crew of seven had had no food for four days and asked to be taken off, but their vessel was rolling heavily and the life-boat could not get alongside.

Eventually she got a line from her and manoeuvred close in. One man jumped into the life-boat and in four more attempts the other six jumped, although one of them missed the life-boat and fell into the sea. He was hauled into the life-boat only slightly injured. During these operations the life-boat was in danger of being capsized by the light- vessel, and so, when the seven men had been rescued, the life-boatmen chopped the rope and left the light- vessel at full speed. The Herbert John landed the men at Cloughey and reached her station again at 3.55. The Com- missioners of the Irish Lights expressed their thanks.—Rewards: Cloughey, 1st Service, £109 lls. Qd.; Donaghadee, £7 11*.; Cloughey, 2nd Service, £17 4s..