Swanage, Dorset -At 5.2 p.m. on 26th March, 1967, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a man had been seen at the base of the Old Harry rocks.

The life-boat R.L.P. launched at 5.14 in a gale force westerly wind and a choppy sea.

It was one hour after low water. She proceeded to the position indicated and carried out an intensive search of the area.

Her rubber dinghy was also used to search inshore. A helicopter and two motor boats joined in the search which was continued for two hours. By this time a police search party was searching the cliffs and they indicated the position where the man was last seen. The rubber dinghy went inshore and found a rucksack on the beach. While the dinghy crew were collecting this they found a dead man in shallow water in a small cove. Artificial respiration was tried without success. The search was continued until the light failed in case there was a second casualty. The lifeboat returned to her station at 9.20..