Weymouth, Dorset. At 11.13 on the morning of the 4th of November, 1960, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a dinghy had been seen drifting fourteen miles off Portland Bill and that a Shackleton aircraft was circling the position. There was a strong westerly wind with a very rough sea. At 11.42 the life-boat Frank Spiller Locke put out on the ebb tide.

She made for the position given, but the dinghy was picked up by a passing steamer. Further messages were re- ceived from the coastguard reporting a second dinghy off Fortuneswell. The life-boat made for this area, but a helicopter recovered the second dinghy and landed it at Portland. The life-boat continued to search for wreckage and possible survivors from the s.s. Lesrix of Hull, which was thought to have foundered in the area. At 4.50 a message was received from the s.s.

Lancrasse of Guernsey that she had picked up a body and wished to transfer it to the life-boat. The life-boat came alongside the Lancrasse at 5.45 and took the body on board. She landed it at Weymouth and arrived back at her station at 7.35..