At 11.28 p.m. on 21st September, 1969, the coastguard reported that red flares had been seen in the direction of Swadman buoy and Holy Island. At 11.38 the life-boat TheEdward and Mary Lester was launched in a westerly gale with a rough sea. It was half an hour before high water. At 12.30 a.m. on 22nd September she came up with the yacht Ciris with eight people on board, between the Swadman and Goldstone buoys. The yacht had dragged her anchor in the gale. The life-boat took the Ciris in tow to Seahouses and returned to her station at 1.45..