LONG NIGHT SEARCH Hastings, Sussex. At 7 p.m. on 9th February, 1964, the mechanic told the honorary secretary that an angling dinghy was overdue, and it was decided to launch the life-boat. There was a gentle north-westerly breeze with a slight sea.

It was one hour before high water. The life-boat Frank and William Oates, on temporary duty at the station, launched at 7.5 and proceeded to the dinghy's last known position, five miles south-east of Fairlight coastguard station. She carried out a search inshore under the cliffs with the aid of the searchlight, and later moved out towards the Royal Sovereign lightship, continuing the search inshore up to about three miles off Bexhill, before returning to the station at 11.45. The lifeboat was refuelled and after a further extensive but unsuccessful search was recalled at 6 a.m. the following morning and refuelled. After a hot meal the crew continued the search in conjunction with fishing boats and a Shackleton aircraft.

When 20 miles south of Hastings the coxswain decided to go on to the West Island fishing grounds where the life-boat found a French fishing vessel. The second coxswain boarded the fishing vessel and called up Boulogne radio, whose personnel acted as interpreters over the radio telephone.

The skipper said he thought he had seen the dinghy during the night about three to four miles south-west of his present position. When the coxswain reached the area and sighted the dinghy the Shackleton aircraft also reported it had found the boat and had dropped a rubber float. During the search a local boat-owner offered to help and during the afternoon he carried a further petrol supply to the life-boat so that she could continue the search. Two of the shorehelpers also put out in a dinghy from the angling club and searched close inshore as far as Pettlevel to the east of Hastings.

When the life-boat reached the dinghy her crew of three were taken on board and the dinghy was towed safely back to Hastings. The life-boat arrived back at her station at 7 p.m. on loth February..