Tragic search for missing girlSunderland's Watson class lifeboat William Myers and Sara Jane Myers launched at 1630 on 10 February 1990 following an alert from Tyne Tees Coastguard that a girl had been swept off the promenade at Seaburn, some ten minutes steaming north of the station.

With the tide full and a heavy swell breaking on to the promenade sea wall conditions were difficult, with very confused seas despite a relatively light wind up to Force 4.

Working close inshore in the darkness the lifeboat crew did glimpse the casualty in the water, and swiftly altered course, but to no avail. Tragically, after searching the area for more than four hours, and with the help of a police helicopter, the body of the girl was found on the beach and the lifeboat released to return to station.

The difficulties of launching and recovering a lifeboat from an open beach are well illustrated by the photograph, taken while the lifeboat was on this service.