Swanage, Dorset. At 11.15 on the night of the 10th August, 1961, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that the police at Wareham had received a report of a flashing light on the cliffs near Old Harry Rocks.

There was a light south-easterly breeze with a rough sea. At 11.55 the life- boat R.L.P. was launched on an ebbing tide. She made an intensive search near the cliffs with the aid of her search- light and parachute flares but could find nothing. At 1.30 a small yacht was observed to seaward, which flashed a light towards the life-boat. The cox- swain went to investigate and found the small yacht Yangtsze running on her auxiliary engine. She was making no progress, and the life-boat took her in tow to Swanage, arriving at 2.40. The coxswain decided that it was inadvis- able to attempt to rehouse the life-boat in the existing weather conditions, and so she was made fast to a mooring buoy, with the yacht astern. At 5.40, when the weather had moderated, the life- boat was rehoused, and shortly after- wards the yacht continued on her passage..