CLUNG TO WRECKAGE Penlee, and Sennen Cove, Cornwall.

At 2.58 a.m. on 23rd October, 1963, the coastguard at St. Just was informed by Land's End radio that a Spanish vessel had gone aground near Mount's Bay.

This message was passed to the honorary secretary of the Penlee life-boat station at 3.9, and the life-boat crew stood by awaiting further information. At 3.30 the Sennen Cove honorary secretary was asked to search off Land's End as the the position of the casualty was still uncertain.

Since there was not enough water at the toe of the slipway, the lifeboat Susan Ashley could not be launched until 4.10. There was a moderate to strong south-westerly wind and a moderate sea.

The tide was flooding. The life-boat reached the rocks off Land's End at 4.48 and used parachute flares for the search.

At this time the coastguard thought that the vessel was under the cliffs at Land's End. It was later discovered that the red flares which had been reported at Land's End by cliff searchers were in fact flares used by the Sennen Cove life-boat, the colour being confused because of the fog.

The casualty could not be found, and at 6.49 the Penlee life-boat Solomon Browne was launched. The coxswain smelt diesel oil off Lamorna Cove and at 7 o'clock steamed into a mass of wreckage.

The life-boat had picked up a body when shouts for help were heard about 100 yards away. The captain of the casualty, the motor vessel Juan Ferrer, of Valencia, was found clinging to some wreckage. He was rescued and wrapped in blankets. He told the coxswain that there was a crew of 15. As the captain was in a distressed condition the coxswain radioed for a doctor and ambulance to be waiting at Newlyn and the Penlee life-boat landed him at 8.15. In the meantime the Trinity House vessel Stella, which had also joined the search, lowered two ships' boats to carry out a search for any survivors, with the help of the Sennen Cove life-boat and a helicopter. At 8.25 the Penlee life-boat left Newlyn and returned to the search area. The helicopter picked up one body and the Stella took five bodies, three survivors having reached the shore. By 11.25 nothing further had been found and the life-boats returned to their stations. Sennen Cove arrived at 12.28 p.m. and Penlee at 12.30. The Spanish Consul sent letters of appreciation to the honorary secretaries of both stations. A collection was made by the crew of the motor vessel Ignacio Ferrer, a sister ship, and sent to the Institution's funds..