WITH GREAT REGRET we have to report that the Royal North and South Holland Lifeboat Institution lifeboat Christiaen Huygens of Den Helder capsized on March 26, 1975. Two of her crew of three lost their lives.

At about 2145 red flares were sighted by the Coastguard at Kykduin. It seemed that a yacht was in danger. At 2200 Suzanna left harbour with Christiaen Huygens, her daughter-boat, in tow. The wind was north west force 4 to 5. Reaching the position at 2300 they found the German yacht Hasco HI, on passage from Ijmuiden to Helgoland, stranded on the wreckage of Friesenland, sunk in 1965, on the Noorderhaaks Sands.

Suzanna could not get closer to the yacht than a mile because of the shallow water and low tide, so Christiaen Huygens set out with J. Post, C. van der Oord and A. van Duivenbooden as crew. Soon after she left at 2330 radio contact was lost, and flares from Suzanna were not answered by the daughter-boat.

Helicopters were called out and rescued Hasco Ill's crew of seven and A. van Duivenbooden; swept by strong currents, he had been stranded unconscious on the sands and managed to reach the yacht. It was then learnt that Christiaen Huygens had broached and been capsized by an exceptionally high wave. The search continued, but the other two crew members, J. Post and C. van der Oord, were dead when they were found.SERVICES AND LIVES SAVED BY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE LIFEBOATS January 1, 1975 to June 30,1975: Services 561 lives saved 199 135 station lifeboats THE STATION FLEET (as at 30/6/75) 122 inshore lifeboats operating in the summer LIVES RESCUED 100,088 from the Institution's foundation in 1824 to June, 30, 1975.