A message was received by the honorary secretary of Bembridge lifeboat station on Saturday, July 30, to say that an engine fire, now extinguished, had caused complete steering loss on a 48' ketch on passage from Poole to Le Havre. A child had inhaled fumes and immediate assistance was required. The lifeboat launched in ten minutes but, as the yacht was drifting and her position uncertain, had difficulty in locating the casualty. A helicopter from HMS Daedalus, called out at the same time, had lifted off the child and taken her to hospital: returning, it helped guide the lifeboat to the yacht which was taken in tow to Bembridge.

photograph by courtesy of HMS Daedalus.