Longhope, Orkneys.—At 1.45 on the afternoon of the 20 th of July, 1956, the Chief Constable of Kirkwall re- ported that a German student had been landed by motor boat on the Island of Switha to study bird life two days earlier. It was known that he had enough provisions to last him until the 25th of July, but by then a gale had sprung up and it was not possible for a boat to be sent to the island to collect him. At 2.50 the life-boat Thomas McCunn was launched in a heavy sea. There was a fresh north-westerly gale, and the tide was ebbing. On reaching the island the coxswain dropped anchor and veered towards a rock, from which the student jumped into the life-boat. The life- boat returned to her station, arriving at five o'clock.—Rewards to the crew, £10 3s.; rewards to the helpers on shore, £5 4s..