Margate, Kent - At 9.2 p.m. on ist May, 1966, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that flashes had been reported by the police to be coming from a small boat near the south east Margate buoy and requested that the life-boat stand by. At 9.50, acting upon a further message from the coastguard, the life-boat North Foreland (Civil Service No. n) was launched in a light easterly wind and a smooth sea. It was one hour before high water. While she was going to the reported position a message was received giving the position of the flashes as one and a half miles out from Minnis Bay.

When she arrived there it was discovered that a cabin cruiser had just entered the bay and was not in any trouble. The lifeboat then moved to the position originally stated and fired a parachute flare but saw nothing. She moved nearer to the shore and saw a small boat with an outboard motor which was being rowed towards the shore by two men. They said they had not been flashing lights but had a small lamp burning in the bottom of the boat which had probably been mistaken for a distress signal. They asked for a tow to West Bay, Westgate, which the lifeboat undertook, and returned to her station at 11.5 p.m..