Motorboat aground ON THE EVENING of Saturday April 24, 1982, the small fishing boat Lona M ran aground on the rocks of North Wamses Island, about four miles east of North Sunderland lifeboat station. Mr Hawkey, warden for the Fame Islands Reserve, informed Tyne Coastguard and then, while enquiries were being made, Lona M herself called up on VHP Channel 16 to tell the Coastguard that she was aground but expected to float clear on the next flood tide, early on Sunday morning. Of the seven people on board, however, two were children and two were women; it was asked if they could be taken off.

A telephone call was made to the honorary secretary of North Sunderland lifeboat station at 2030 and at 2045 the station's D class inflatable lifeboat was launched, manned by Coxswain Robert Douglas and Motor Mechanic Alan Hogg.

It was a quiet, cloudy evening with a light breeze, force 2, blowing from the south east. The inflatable lifeboat made the passage to Lona M, and took off the women and children; they were landed and taken home by car. Then, as there was a real danger that the fishing boat might be holed as she floated off the rocks, it was agreed that the D class lifeboat should return to the casualty after the tide turned and that North Sunderland's 37ft Oakley lifeboat The Edward and Mary Lester should also launch to stand by.

Both lifeboats were launched at about 2320, The Edward and Mary Lester under the command of CoxswainRobert Douglas and the D class inflatable lifeboat manned by Helmsman Kevin Mole and Crew Member John Hanvey, Jnr. At 2350 crew members were put ashore and stood by until the rising tide had floated the fishing boat clear. After it had been established that no damage had been done to her hull, Lona M returned to her home port at Holy Island while the lifeboats returned to North Sunderland. The inflatable lifeboat was rehoused at 0340, but, the tide being now too high for the Oakley lifeboat to be put on to her carriage, The Edward and Mary Lester was moored in the harbour until 0830, when she was recarriaged and rehoused..