Margate, Kent. At 4.15 on the afternoon of the 4th of August, 1959, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a rubber mattress with one person on it was drifting out to sea near the Hook Sands beacon. The life- boat North Foreland (Civil Service No.

11) was launched at 4.27 in a smooth sea. There were light west-north- westerly airs and an ebb tide. With the help of a helicopter the life-boat carried out a search of the area and found a small motor boat with two men aboard, who had put out from the coastguard station at Reculvers to the help of the person on the rubber mattress. The motor boat had run out of petrol during the search, and after a message had been received that the person on the mattress had reached shore safely the life-boat took the motor boat in tow. She reached her station at seven o'clock.

Rewards to the crew, £8 8s. ; rewards to the helpers on shore £4 4s..