CLINGING TO BOAT At 4.55 a.m. on 23rd August, 1964, the coastguard told the honorary secretary that a boat was reported to have sunk off Cardigan Island and her occupants had reached the island. The sea was rough, with a strong south-westerly breeze and a flood tide. At 5.25 the life-boat Howard Marryat was launched. Soon afterwards she heard from the coastguard that while three people had landed on Cardigan Island two others were still dinging to their overturned motor boat. The lifeboat found the motor boat about three miles north-east of the island. One man was found dinging to the hull but the other had been washed away several hours previously. The survivor was dressed in a breeches buoy by a member of the lifeboat crew, who had swum over to him, and was hoisted aboard the life-boat where the bowman, who is also the station's honorary medical adviser, treated him.

The other member of the motor boat's crew could not be found. At 11.45 tne life-boat entered Fishguard where the exhausted man was taken to hospital by ambulance. One of the three survivors who had reached the island climbed a 50- foot rocky cliff face, walked about 300 yards across the island and then swam 100 yards to raise the alarm. This man was taken back to the position at his request by one of two local boats which put out to assist, and was later transferred to the life-boat for medical treatment. The other two survivors were rescued by the local boats..