Torbay, Devon.—About seven o'clock on the night of the 19th of December, 1949, the S.S. Fred, of Piraeus, about a mile off Brixham breakwater, was heard sounding her whistle. Flashing lights were seen. A motor boat put out and the flashing stopped. Later, the coastguard reported that a man, being returned to Greece as an undesir- able alien, had left the Fred on a raft, with only a fireman's shovel for an oar.

Police were searching for him in motor boats. At 10.10 the life-boat Hearts of Oak, on temporary duty at the station, put out, with two police officers on board. A light south-westerly breeze was blowing, with a choppy sea. The life-boat found the man about half a mile off Thatcher Rock, exhausted, with his raft partly submerged. She rescued him and landed him at New Pier at 12.40 next morning, where he was taken by the police to Brixham hospital.—Rewards, £7 19s. 6d..