Clacton-on-Sea, and Walton and Frinton, Essex - At 9.43 a.m. on 15th January, 1968, the coastguard informed the brother of the acting honorary secretary of the Clactonon- Sea life-boat station that the oyster smack Frederick George of Maldon, which had left Maldon bound for Gillingham at 11.30 a.m.

on 14th January, had not arrived. It was known that the smack had experienced engine trouble in the past. The life-boat Sir Godfrey Baring slipped her moorings at Brightlingsea at 10.50 to search the river Blackwater area. There was a strong west south westerly breeze with a slight sea. The tide was flooding.

At 11 o'clock a further message was received that the smack was off Walton-on-Naze and that the Walton and Frinton life-boat was proceeding to her assistance. The Clacton-on-Sea life-boat was instructed to return to Brightlingsea which she reached at 12.5 p.m. The Walton and Frintonlife-boat Edian Courtauld, with the Inspector of life-boats who was at the station to carry out a routine exercise on board, left her moorings at 11.13. The smack with three men on board was found drifting one and a half miles east north east of the coastguard lookout. The vessel was taken in tow to Harwich which was reached at 12.46. The life-boat left Harwich at 2.32 to carry out the exercise and returned to her station at 3.58. The rescued people made a donation to the Institution's funds..