At 5.25 p.m. on 3oth August, 1965, the police at Withernsea reported that a small vessel was firing red flares one and a half miles east of Withernsea. There was a moderate to fresh westerly wind and a slight sea. The life-boat City of Bradford HI launched shortly afterwards on a flooding tide and when abreast of Dimlington a red flare was seen about five miles east of the position. The lifeboat altered course and a few minutes later a helicopter was seen coming from the direction of the flare. When the helicopter reached the life-boat one of its crew was lowered on board and told the coxswain that the boat was ahead of him with her engine broken down, and she had lost her anchor. The life-boat found the motor fishing vessel Pandora with a crew of three and took her in tow to Grimsby, arriving at 8.45.

The life-boat reached her station at 9-45 P.m..