Broughty Ferry, Angus. At 12.44 early on the morning of the 4th July, 1961, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a man was adrift in a small boat off Hobby Horse bank, near Newburgh on the Tay estuary. There was a strong north- westerly wind with a heavy sea. The tide had begun to flood. At one o'clock the life-boat The Robert was launched.

She searched an area in the darkness west of Tay bridge, and at 3.45 she found the missing boat drifting off Balmerino Point. The boat was a small salmon fishing coble, but there was no one on board. In collaboration with thepolice the life-boat made an intensive search along the south beach, but without result. The police took charge of the coble, and the life-boat finally reached her station at 7.55..