Donaghadee, Co. Down.—At 6.30 on the morning of the 7th of September, 1955, the Orlock coastguard telephoned that a vessel had run on the rocks a hun- dred yards south of Maidens. At 6.50 the life-boat Sir Samuel Kelly put out.

The sea was choppy, there was a light southerly breeze and fog, and the tide was half ebb. The life-boat found the S.S. Overton, of Liverpool, fast on Saddle Rock and saw that seven of her crew of ten had abandoned her in her boats. These men reboarded their ship, and the life-boat stood by. The master later asked the life-boat to take the seven men on board because the Overton had made a lot of water and was in danger of listing heavily.

The life-boat embarked them and made for Larne. When she was a mile away from the steamer she received a message on her radio telephone that the Overton had taken a very heavy list to port. She immediately returned to the steamer and found that the three remaining men had taken to her boats. The life-boat rescued them and took all the men to Donaghadee, arriving at 8.15. The Overton became a total wreck. Rewards to the crew, £25 9s.; reward to the helper on shore, £1 5s..