At 11.56 a.m. on ifth March, 1967, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that the motor fishing vessel Northfleet with a crew of three, was firing red flares in the Wyre Channel by No. 9 buoy. She had been towing the larger motor fishing vessel Hamoaze from Fleetwood to Glassan dock when her engine broke down. The Hamoaze had anchored but the Nonhfleet was driving over the Pilling sands into shoal water. The life-boat Ann Letitia Russell was launched at 12.2 p.m. in a gale force west by northerly wind and a very rough sea. It was an hour and a half before high water. She reached the Northfleet which was in shoal water and bumping badly. A tow rope was secured and the life-boat started to tow her clear. The tow parted several times but she was eventually towed clear and moored in Fleetwood harbour.

The life-boat then proceeded to the Hamoaze, whoseanchor cablehad jammed, and she had started to drag into shoal water. The life-boat made several attempts to tow her clear but without success, and the crew of four were taken aboard the life-boat just after high water. The lifeboat returned to her station at 3.10..