Weymouth, Dorset.—At 10.45 on the morning of the 1st of September, 1956, the Wyke Regis coastguard telephoned that a small fishing boat had engine trouble a quarter of a mile west of Portland Bill. At 10.55 the life-boat William and Clara Ryland put out.

The sea was very rough, there was a strong north-easterly gale blowing, and the tide was ebbing. The life-boat came up with the fishing boat June, took her crew of two on board and began to tow her. A message was then received that a yacht nineteen miles south-by-east of Portland Bill appeared to have no one on board and was a danger to navigation. The coxswain decided to land the two men, who were exhausted, and beach the fishing boat at Chesil Cove before making for the yacht. The life-boat then began to search, and ten and a half miles from Portland she came up with the yacht Capella, of Portsmouth, with ten people on board. She took this yacht in tow and reached her station again at eight o'clock in the evening. It was later learned that the drifting yacht reported earlier had been taken in tow by a French trawler. The Swanage life-boat was also launched.—Rewards: 1st service, rewards to the crew, £9 185.; 2nd service, Property Salvage Case..