Margate, Kent - At 4.27 p.m. on 7th December, 1969, it was learnt that the 50 ft. ketch yacht Aquila, on passage from Newhaven to London with a crew of four, had fired red flares. She had ripped her mainsail in a sudden squall and had goneaground on the South Shingle sands about eight and three quarter miles north west of Margate harbour.

Ships in her vicinity were standing by. The life-boat North Foreland (Civil Service No. 11) was launched at 5 o'clock in a moderate west by southerly wind with a rough sea. It was one hour after low water. The German ship Haslach reported that she had sent six men in her ship's life-boat to the Aquila. At 6.25 p.m.

the life-boat came up with the yacht and pulled her off the sandbank. At 7.15, as weather conditions were worsening, she took the yacht and the ship's life-boat in tow to the Haslach and then continued her tow of the Aquila with her crew back to Margate harbour. They were landed safely and cared for by the wife of the life-boat's motor mechanic. The life-boat returned to her station at 11.15..