FRENCH TRAWLER AIDED St. Mary's, Scilly Islands. A doctor rang the coxswain at 10 p.m. on 6th October, 1963, stating that he had heard from the Penzance Port Medical Authority that a French trawler, Ketty et Michou, was steaming at full speed for St. Mary's with a seaman suffering from a badly bleeding nose. As the trawler's skipper had never been to the Scilly Islands he had asked for the life-boat to come out and meet him with a doctor. The crew assembled at 10.15 and the life-boat Guy and Clare Hunter left the slipway at 11.30. As the trawler's skipper had estimated his arrival off St. Mary's at about one o'clock the life-boat with a doctor on board did not leave the town quay until 12.15 a.m. for the rendezvous. On the way out they mistakenly hailed another French trawler but shortly after saw the Ketty et Michou approaching from the north. It was the fourth hour of the ebb with clear weather, good visibility and a moderate sea. There was a strong breeze from the west-northwest.

The doctor and the life-boat's second coxswain, a Trinity House pilot, were put aboard the trawler and the vessels sailed for harbour together. Owing to the very low tide and the fact that two Spanish trawlers were against the harbour steps it was difficult to land the man. When this was accomplished, the seaman, who had lost a lot of blood, was taken to hospital where he was detained. The life-boat was re-housed at nine o'clock the following morning. The French trawler put to sea again and returned eight days later to pick up the seaman..