SURVIVORS ON RAFT Stromness, Orkneys. At 5 p.m. on 25th January, 1965, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that they had received a Mayday from the trawler Kingston Turquoise of Hull approximate position fourteen miles northnorth- west from Hoy Head. The lifeboat Archibald and Alexander M. Paterson was launched at 5.20 in light airs and a smooth sea. The tide was ebbing. The life-boat proceeded to the distressed trawler and was informed by radio that a Shackleton aircraft was due in the vicinity of the casualty at 6.50. The life-boat made radio contact with the aircraft which with the use of flares had sighted two rafts with survivors on board. The aircraft had dropped marker flares for the guidance of the life-boat and she reached the rafts at 7.48 by which time a strong breeze had sprung up from the northeast.

The sea was choppy. Nineteen men were picked up by the life-boat and one man was reported missing. As the survivors were wet and cold the life-boat returned to Stromness leaving the fishing cruiser Norna to search for the missing man. The life-boat returned to her station at 10.56 p.m..