THREE LIFE-BOATS OUT TO DUTCH VESSEL Port Erin, Port St. Mary, and Douglas, Isle of Man. At 4.15 on the morning of the 5th February, 1963, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary of the Port St. Mary life-boat station that a vessel was ashore on the south coast of the Isle of Man. The coxswain of the Port Erin life-boat was also told, and the life-boats R. A. Colby Cubbin No. 2 and Matthew Simpson put out at 4.40 and five o'clock respectively. There was a south-easterly gale and a very rough sea.

It was two hours after high water. At 5.15 the coastguard reported that the motor vessel Grietje of Groningen with a crew of eight had been found three miles south of Douglas. When the Douglas life-boat White Star, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 5.50 the other two life-boats were recalled, Port Erin reaching her station at 6.8, and Port St. Mary at 6.35. The Douglas life-boat reached the position of the motor vessel in a blinding snowstorm but was unable to close her because of the rocks, and she therefore stood off. The life-saving apparatus team had also arrived at the position and a line was secured to the vessel, but her crew did not wish to be brought ashore by breeches buoy, preferring to remain on board for the time being. At 7.40 a rubber life-raft was floated ashore from the Grietje with six of her crew in it, and they climbed the cliffs, using rope ladders which had been placed in position by the life-saving apparatus team. Later the captain and chief mate also went ashore in the life-raft. The life-boat, which had been standing by all this time, then returned to her station, arriving at 8.55..