Torbay, Devon. At 1.48 on the afternoon of the 18th of May, 1959, the police at Torquay told the honorary secretary that a dinghy was in difficulties off Maidencombe beach. Her occu- pants were waving for help, and at 1.55 the life-boat Princess Alexandra of Kent put out in a moderate sea. There was a gentle north-easterly breeze, and the tide was flooding. The life-boat made for the position and found a man pulling at the oars of a small motor dinghy to keep her off the rocks. He had been rowing since eleven o'clock, when his engine had broken down. His eleven-year-old son was also on board.

A rope was thrown across from the life-boat, which towed the dinghy clear of the rocks, and the man and the boy were taken on board. The man collapsed when he came aboard, and a radio- telephone message was sent asking for medical help to be available at Brixham.

When the life-boat reached harbour at 3.45, the man had recovered slightly, and he was taken by ambulance to hospital.

He later made a gift to the life-boat crew. Rewards to the crew, £6 ; rewards to the helpers on shore, £1 4s..