Bembridge, Isle of Wight.—At 8.45 on the evening of the 21st of September, 1953, the Ryde police rang up to say that a man was missing in a dinghy between No Man's Fort and Horse Sand Fort. At 8.51 the life-boat Jesse Lumb was launched. She began to search in a very rough sea and south- westerly gale, but at nine o'clock the naval authorities at Portsmouth re- ported that a salvage lighter with two men on board was in distress in Stokes Bay. This news was wirelessed to the life-boat. The search for the dinghy had been unsuccessful, and the life-boat went to the position where the lighter was reported to be.

She found that the lighter was driving ashore, rescued the men on board, and took them to Portsmouth. She reached her station again at one o'clock early on the 22nd.—Rewards, £11 12s..