Three lifeboats search for survivors from wrecked sailing ship Lifeboats from three stations were involved in the search for survivors when the 137-year-old sailing ship Maria Asumpta foundered after running ashore on the rocky North Cornwall coast on 30 May 1995.The ship, believed to be the oldest sailing vessel afloat, was entering the Camel estuary in a fresh north-westerly breeze when she hit rocks on the eastern side of the entrance, near Rumps Point.

She began to break up almost immediately, as many will have seen in news reports at the time.

Padstow's Tyne class lifeboat was launched at 1637 from just across the estuary and nearby Port Isaac's D class was afloat a couple of minutes earlier for her three-mile passage to the scene.

Both boats were on scene within 30 minutes, but there was little to be done.

Of the 14 people aboard all but three had already been picked up by fishing vessels or climbed the cliffs of the point. A helicopter soon recovered the body of one person from the casualty and both lifeboats searched fruitlessly for the other two people who were unnaccounted for.Despite searching till nightfall - both lifeboats leaving the area after 2100 - only wreckage was recovered.

The search was resumed the following day in slightly calmer conditions when the Padstow and Port Isaac life-boats were joined by the D class lifeboat from the recently established station at Rock, a few miles further up the estuary.

However, once again only wreckage and personal effects were recovered.

The final death toll following the loss of this historic vessel stood at three..