At 5.30 a.m. on 5th February, 1967, news was received that a fishing vessel, while leaving Stornoway harbour, had stopped rather suddenly and drifted out of sight under the land inside Helm Head.No distress signals, however, had been seen or heard. A few minutes later the vessel fired a red flare. The coastguard rescue equipment team was alerted and the life-boat The James and Margaret Boyd slipped her moorings at 6.5 in a gale force westerly wind and a rough sea.

It was one and a half hours after high water. She reached the motor fishing vessel Ocean Starlight at 6.20. The skipper of the vessel wanted to stay on board and a lifeline was put aboard from the shore in case of emergency as the tide was failing. The life-boat then landed the remaining three members of the crew at Stornoway harbour. She returned to the stranded vessel and carried an anchor from her to windward and stood by until the tide turned. She towed the vessel clear about half an hour before high water. The Ocean Starlight proceeded to Stornoway harbour under her own power, escorted by the life-boat, which returned to her station at 6 o'clock..