THREE BOATS CALLED Bembridge, Isle of Wight, Selsey and Shoreham Harbour, Sussex. At 3.5 p.m. on i8th February, 1964, the coastguard told the Bembridge honorary secretary that a naval Sea Hawk aircraft was missing between St. Catherine's Point and Worthing. There was a near gale from the east-north-east with a rough sea and the tide was ebbing. After confirmation that help was needed, the life-boat Cunard, on temporary duty at the station, launched at 4.20 and began to search the area.

Later the honorary secretaries at Selsey and Shoreham Harbour were similarly informed that help was needed. The Selsey life-boat Canadian Pacific left at 4.15 and at 4.25 the Shoreham Harbour life-boat Dorothy and Philip Constant was launched.

An extensive search was carried out in cooperation with a helicopter, aircraft, merchant vessels and Royal Navy ships but without success. The life-boats were recalled. The Selsey and Shoreham Harbour life-boats returned to their stations at 10.15 and 12.50 a.m. respectively and the Bembridge life-boat, unable to rehouse because of bad weather, was left on moorings at Cowes where she arrived at 1.10 a.m..