Stornoway, Hebrides.—At 5.50 on the morning of the 6th of January, 1957, the coastguard telephoned that the fishery protection vessel Vaila was ashore north of Craigmore, Isle of Lewis, and was making water. Shortly afterwards a message was received that the Vaila's crew of twenty were abandoning ship and taking to their boats. At 6.25 the life-boat The James and Margaret Boyd put out. There was a moderate sea, a strong south- westerly breeze was blowing, and the tide was flooding. The life-boat reached the position and after search- ing for a while found a boat with six survivors to the north of Kelock Head.

The six men were taken on board the life-boat. The trawler Kelso Paton had by this time joined in the search.

The life-boat continued south towards Loch Shell and found that the Vaila had struck Invard Island and sunk.

Nine survivors had landed at the village of Limervoy. These men were taken on board the life-boat and the search continued for the other five missing men. It was known that they had had difficulty in launching the other boats when their vessel sank.

At daylight several trawlers and other fishing craft joined in the search, and eventually five bodies were picked up in the Minch by various craft. One body was transferred to the life-boat, and she returned to her station to land the survivors and the body, arriving at two o'clock in the after- noon.—Rewards to the crew, £17 10s..