Tynemouth, Northumberland. At 1.52 p.m. on i8th November, 1965, the coastguard told the honorary secretary that a Dutch tug with the dredger Beverwjk in tow from Holland to the Tees had broken adrift and had been seen heading for the Tyne pier. At 2.7 the life-boat George and Sarah Strachan, on temporary duty at the station, was launched just as the dredger was swept outside North pier and on to the rocks.

There was a strong easterly wind and a rough sea. The tide was ebbing. Rounding the pier the coxswain saw that very heavy seas were breaking over the dredger and her fore end was only 30 yards from the pier. He asked the coastguard to set up a breeches buoy and the life-boat stood by until the BeverwjK's crew of four were safe and then returned to the station..