At 12.58 p.m. on i6th October, 1966, a small catarmaran with an elderly man on board was seen in difficulties half a mile north west of the coastguard look-out.

The man appeared to be exhausted. The life-boat Elizabeth Elson, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 1.15 in a moderate south south easterly wind and a choppy sea. It was five hours after low water. The life-boat towed the catamaran to the beach at Botany bay.

Just after reaching the catamaran, the coastguard informed the coxswain byR/T that three women and a man in a small rowing boat were not making progress against the tide. They were about one and a half miles north west of Foreness Point. After leaving Botany bay the lifeboat proceeded to the position indicated, and found that the boat had been taken in tow by the motor boat Vagabond. While on the way back to the station at 3.50 the coxswain was informed by the motor boat Veronica that a speedboat had capsized about one mile to the north and that although one man had been rescued, another was still missing. The life-boat proceeded to this position. The rescued man was transferred from the motor boat Fan Tu to the life-boat and given first aid.

A search of the area was made for the missing man and then the assistance of a helicopter from Mansion was requested.

The motor boat Lysander also joined the search. When the helicopter arrived the life-boat proceeded to Margate jetty to land the survivor. When the man had been landed the life-boat together with the IRB resumed the search for the missing man. While the life-boat was searching the Deal coastguard advised her that a boat had capsized one mile north of Foreness Point, and four people were in the water. She proceeded to this position and found that three people had been picked up by the motor boat Verity which took them to Margate harbour.

Their outboard speed boat was towed to harbour by the trawler Teale. The subposed fourth person turned out to be a yellow plastic bucket. While the life-boat was searching for the missing man from the Veronica, she sighted the motor boat Sea Witch, whose engine had broken down about two hundred yards from the Long Nose bouy. There were three men on board the casualty. The life-boat towed her to Palm bay and when they were safely ashore resumed the search in conjunction with the IRB and the helicopter, but without success. At 4.20 the search was called off and the life-boat and the IRB returned, arriving at 4.45..