PARACHUTE FLARES SHOW YACHT IN DANGER Dunmore East, Co. Waterford. At 9.5 on the evening of the 2nd September, 1962, the honorary secretary received messages from the coast life-saving service and the civic guards that rockets and flares had been seen one mile from Brownstown Head. At 9.20 the life-boat Annie Blanche Smith left her moorings in a strong north-easterly wind and a moderate sea. It was an hour and a quarter after high water.

The life-boat reached the position but nothing unusual was seen, and she made for Tramore bay. Two parachute flares were fired from the life-boat, and by this means the yacht Marjory Gaw of Littlehampton was found in a most dangerous position in shoal water and among rocks. Her crew of two had lost their bearings. The life-boat closed the yacht and escorted her to safety in Dunmore East harbour. The life-boat reached her station at 12.30. It was later learnt that no flares had been fired from the yacht, and the arrival of the life-boat was, in a sense, an extremely fortunate accident. There had been a thunderstorm, and the vivid lightning had evidently been mistaken by the coast watchers for rockets..