Ox the evening of the 9th of August, 1957, two boys and a girl were bathing off the beach at Walberswick, some two hundred yards south of the south pier of the harbour at Southwold, Suffolk. A strong south-by-east breeze was blowing and there was a rough confused sea. It was two hours after low water.

The children swam to a sandbank about a hundred yards from the beach, and the girl was then swept out to sea, probably by an eddy current. She was last seen by a local fisherman about a hundred yards seaward of the harbour entrance. The two boys managed to reach shore safely.

Reached Shore Exhausted Meanwhile a visitor to Southwold, Mr. Mervin Jones, had swum out to try to save the girl. He managed to grab her but could not retain his hold, and eventually himself reached shore in an exhausted state.

A woman living at Walberswick telephoned Mr. F. T. W. Cross, the licensee of the Harbour Inn, asking him to put out in his 19-feet open motor boat, Kingfisher. Mr. Cross asked for volunteers to come with him and was joined by Mr. G. Siddall and two visitors known as Joe and Wally. The four men put to sea immediately, but had considerable difficulty in the harbour entrance because of the flood tide and the confused sea.

Carried Between Piers They made a search to seaward and along the coast but could find no sign of the girl. Eventually, after having difficulty in turning the boat in the heavy seas which were then running, Mr. Cross headed back for the harbour.

Just before the Kingfisher reached the harbour entrance a heavy sea broke aboard her. The engine stopped, but by a lucky accident the boat was carried between the piers by wind and tide, and once inside the harbour the engine was re-started. The Aideburgh life-boat was also launched and searched without success.

For this attempted rescue the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum have been accorded to Mr. F. T. W.

Cross. A letter of appreciation has been sent to Mr. G. Siddall, and the Institution is trying to trace the men known as Joe and Wally in order to send letters of appreciation to them..