LAUNCH TO DINGHIES AND WOMAN OVERBOARD New Brighton, Cheshire. At 7.33 on the evening of the 23rd September, 1962, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a yacht was in difficulties near C 16 buoy in the river Mersey. The coastguard was asked for more detailed information, and the honorary secretary was told that the yacht had capsized and that a hopper was standing by. The life-boat Norman B. Corlett left her moorings at 7.50 in a light south-westerly breeze and a smooth sea. It was low water. The lifeboat reached the position and found the hopper No. 27, whose crew told the coxswain that two sailing dinghies had been in trouble. The crew of two of one dinghy had been rescued by helicopter and the crew of the other had swum ashore. One of the abandoned dinghies was found and taken in tow by the life-boat to New Brighton. At 8.45 a further message was received from the coastguard that the police had reported that a woman had fallen overboard from the Liverpool-Birkenhead ferry.

The life-boat carried out a search but found nothing and returned to her station, arriving at 11.20..