Walton and Frinton, Essex. At 12.55 a.m. on 3rd May, 1965, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that anxiety was being felt for the safety of a fishing party of some nine or ten people who had not returned to Walton.

Enquiries revealed that the boat in which the party had embarked, the 34-foot motor cruiser Nan of Walton, had grounded off Dovercourt during the previous afternoon in fog. One man had walked ashore from the grounded boat and having reached Walton by road, had given the boat owner's wife some information as to the intention of the fishing party.

As some concern was felt that the Nan might have damaged her bottom it was decided to send the life-boat Edian Courtauld to investigate. She proceeded at 1.42 in a gentle south by easterly breeze and a slight sea. It was high water.

Using her searchlight and parachute flares she searched from the river to the position where the Nan had last been seen. The life-boat found her lying at anchor near the No. 2 buoy at the entrance to Hanford Water. The owner of the motor cruiser informed the coxswain that he was not sure of the position and the life-boat escorted the Nan to river moorings and arrived at her station at 3.33 p.m..