Lerwick, Shetland*. At 1.45 on the after- noon of 27th January, 1961, the Medical Officer of Health for Shetland told the honorary secretary that a woman had been blown over by the wind on Fair Isle and had been badly injured, and that it was necessary for her to be moved to hospital. A whole southerly gale was blowing, causing a very rough sea. At 2.49. the time agreed upon with a doctor who came out with the crew, the life- boat Claude Cecil Staniforth put out on a flooding tide. Shortly afterwards the weather deteriorated considerably. The wind, which was already very strong, increased in force, and the sea grew much worse. Visibility was practically nil. In view of these conditions it was decided that the life-boat should return and make a further attempt to reach Fair Isle early the next morning. The coxswain said that it was the worst weather he had ever experienced at sea.

The life-boat sailed again at 6.40 the next morning. Weather conditions had improved, the wind strength having decreased to a strong breeze, and thelife-boat reached Fair Isle at 11.30. The doctor went ashore to visit the patient, who was found to be suffering from a compound fracture of the fibula and other injuries. At 1.30 the life-boat left Fair Isle with the doctor and patient on board. The patient was on a Neil- Robertson stretcher and was placed as comfortably as possible on the star- board side of the life-boat's cabin.

The life-boat arrived back at her station at 5.20 where an ambulance was waiting to take the patient to hospital..