AT 5.28 p.m. on 25th November, 1970, flares were sighted off the Hook Tower, Co. Waterford.

The life-boat Douglas Hyde slipped her moorings at Dunmore East at 5.37 in a southerly gale with a very rough sea.

At 6.20 the life-boat came up with a rubber raft with three survivors from the fishing boat Glenmalure on board. The boat had been struck by a freak wave which had swept the mast, wheelhouse and nets away. The fourth member of the crew was swept overboard by the wave.

The life-boat searched without success for the missing man for two hours in cooperation with the fishing boat Anna Maria. She then returned to her station as one of the three men who had been picked up was suffering from a head injury. He was landed at Dunmore at 7.15.

The life-boat refuelled and was going to her moorings when a message was received that the missing fisherman had been sighted clinging to some net buoys close to the rocks near the Hook Tower lighthouse. The life-boat went immediately and arrangements were made for the lighthouse keeper to flash lights in the position in which a man had been sighted.

Broken water and heavy seas made conditions particularly difficult in the search area and finally a message was received indicating that the man had disappeared. The search was called off and the life-boat returned to her station, arriving at 11.55..