On 3rd November, 1968, the Dutch warship Rotterdam towed the yacht Storm, which was carrying a man, his wife and child, to within a few miles of Shoreham and then requested the assistance of the local life-boat. Considerable difficulties arose during the towing operation but eventually the life-boat and the yacht reached Shoreham.

In the Evening Argus for 12th November, 1968, the following letter appeared from Mr. G. R. Riden, of Henfield, Sussex: 'I am writing to thank members of the Shoreham life-boat crew and their families and friends for all the trouble taken on behalf of my wife, child and myself to rescue us from the sea.

'I have often sat and watched the life-boat launched and pondered on the luckless people who need help at sea, never dreaming that one day I would need assistance.

'There cannot be many places left in our modern world where one can be so close to civilisation (i.e. 20 miles from shore) and feel so helpless and alone.

'During Saturday night 2nd November I longed for dawn when things wouldn't be so bad. When daylight arrived there were no ships and land was not in sight— just a wild sea around. With failing strength and eyesight (I had salt blindness) things looked pretty black.

'A WONDERFUL SERVICE' 'You can imagine our joy at being sighted at lunchtime by a Dutch destroyer which tried to take our little vessel in tow and, when unable to manage this task because of the sea, called the fife-boat from Shoreham.

'The captain and crew of the Dutch destroyer Rotterdam were kindness itself and soon restored our strength, thereby enabling us to stand the eight-hour journey back with the life-boat.

'On our return to Shoreham at 1.30 a.m. on Monday the life-boatmen's wives and friends were waiting patiently and gathered round to help.

'It would be impossible to receive better treatment, which included a lifthome from a man who had already been at sea rescuing another person earlier in the day.

Thank you . . . for such a wonderful service.'.