The mechanic of the Hastings life-boat, Mr. J. H. Martin, and Police Sergeant S. Ferguson of Hastings have both received framed letters of thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution, Captain the Hon. V. M. Wyndham-Quin, R.N., for saving the life of a man hi the early hours of xyth August, 1965.

The first report that a man was in difficulty was received from the Hastings police at 12.18 a.m. They told the honorary secretary of the station, Mr. J. J.

Adams, that a man had launched a bathing patrol dinghy from the beach without authority.

The sea was calm and the weather was cloudy and hazy. There was very little wind. It was two hours before high water. The tide was setting to the westward.

Motor Mechanic Martin and Police Sergeant Ferguson launched the Hastingsinshore rescue boat to search for the dinghy. Mechanic Martin decided to take the boat to seaward of the position where the dinghy was expected to be. This would enable him to make use of the shore lights while searching. Sergeant Ferguson kept in contact with the shore with his portable V.H.F. R/T set.

The two men found the dinghy at 12.54 about 200 yards south-west of Hastings pier, but there was nobody aboard. They continued searching, and some five minutes later saw somebody splashing. They found the man, who began to disappear beneath the water as they reached him.

Sergeant Ferguson, who was wearing the standard RNLI coverall and lifejacket over his clothes, as well as sea-boots, immediately dived into the sea fully clothed. He grabbed the man in the water as he surfaced, and he and Mechanic Martin pulled him into the boat.

The man appeared to be drowned but Sergeant Ferguson immediately began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Mechanic Martin brought the I.R.B. back to her station at one o'clock, and when the man was landed took over the mouth-tomouth resuscitation while Sergeant Ferguson employed cardiac massage. The man regained consciousness and was taken to hospital, where he recovered..