St. Mary's, Scilly Islands. At 10.48 on the morning of the llth August, 1961, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a small motor boat had put out earlier in the evening with the owner and his son on board to go fishing and had not returned.

Enquiries revealed that the boat had been seen south of Peninnis Head.

There was a gentle north-westerly breeze with a smooth sea. At 10.52, at nearly low water, the life-boat Guy and Clare Hunter was launched. She began to search from Peninnis Head to the westward, in which direction the tide was running strongly. A message was sent to the life-boat that watchers on St. Agnes had seen a flare and lights among the Westward rocks. The life- boat made an extensive search without result and the coxswain asked for the help of an aircraft in the search as soon as it was daylight. Shortly after day-light, however, the coastguard spotted the boat about a mile to the north-west of the Nor'ard rocks. This news was passed to the life-boat, which im- mediately made for the position. Mean- while two shore helpers had also spotted the boat, and they put off in a motor launch. They found the fishing boat Mary Ann and took her in tow towards St. Mary's. They met the life-boat half way on the journey, and the life- boat took over the tow. The owner's son, a lad of eight, was brought ashore by an air-sea rescue float. The Mary Ann with the owner aboard was brought into harbour by the life-boat, which then returned to her station, arriving at 8.56..